Article storage device

Abstract

To improve convenience.SOLUTION: An article storage device 1 including a device body 2 in which a storage region 3 is defined in a state of facing a front opening 2a, and a front door 4 swingably provided in the device body 2 in a state of opening and closing the front opening 2a includes: a rectangular parallelepiped module body 11 stored in the storage region 3 in which a front region is opened: a partition member 13 detachably provided inside the module body 11 for defining a plurality of storage regions 12 by partitioning the inside into at least one of upper and lower sides, and right and left sides; an opening / closing door 17 swingably provided in the module body 11 in a state of opening and closing a front portion of the storage region 12 defined by the partition member 13; and an opening degree adjustment mechanism 181a which biases the opening / closing door 17 in a closing direction when an opening degree of the opening / closing door 17 is equal to or greater than a preset threshold, and regulates the biasing of the opening / closing door 17 in the closing direction to bring it into a free state when the opening degree is less than the threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article storage device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a locker device in which a plurality of locker sections are arranged vertically and horizontally inside a device body whose front opening is opened and closed by a front door. The locker section includes a box body having a front opening on the front side and a storage area formed inside, and an opening / closing door provided on the box body so as to be swingable to open and close the front opening (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-094113 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned locker device, if the front door swings in the closing direction while the opening door in the locker section swings in the opening direction, there is a risk that the swing of the front door in the closing direction may be obstructed depending on the opening degree of the opening door.

[0005] In order to prevent such obstruction of the front door's swing in the closing direction, it is also possible to provide a biasing mechanism that biases the opening and closing door in the closing direction, and to constantly block the front opening of the box body with the opening and closing door when only the biasing force from the biasing mechanism is acting.

[0006] However, if the front opening is constantly blocked by the opening and closing door when only the biasing force of the biasing mechanism is acting, the front opening will be blocked every time a user takes their hand off the opening and closing door while taking out an item from the locker section, and the user will have to constantly hold the opening and closing door with their fingers, etc., which is not very convenient.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an article storage device that can improve convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the item storage device of the present invention is an item storage device comprising an apparatus main body having a rectangular storage area defined therein facing a front opening formed on the front surface, and a front door that is swingably attached to the apparatus main body in a manner that opens and closes the front opening, and is characterized in that it comprises: a rectangular module main body that is stored in the storage area and has an open front area; a partition member that is detachably attached inside the module main body and that defines a plurality of storage areas by dividing the interior into at least one of upper and lower and left and right sides; an opening / closing door that is swingably attached to the module main body in a manner that opens and closes the front portion of the storage area defined by the partition member; and an opening adjustment mechanism that urges the opening / closing door in a closing direction when the opening degree of the opening / closing door is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and that restricts the urging of the opening / closing door in a free state when the opening degree is less than the threshold.

[0009] Furthermore, in the item storage device according to the present invention, the threshold value is equal to or greater than 45°.

[0010] The present invention is also characterized in that the above-mentioned item storage device is provided with a locking mechanism that is provided for each of the opening and closing doors and can be switched alternatively between a locked state in which the opening and closing doors are kept closed, and an unlocked state in which the opening and closing doors are allowed to open the front portion of the storage area.

[0011] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned item storage device, the opening and closing door is arranged to be movable forward and backward in a manner that it appears and disappears from the front portion, and is equipped with a push member that is biased in a manner that it moves forward and backward by a biasing means.

[0012] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned item storage device, the push member is arranged to be movable forward and backward in a truncated cone-shaped storage section provided on the front portion of the opening and closing door, in a manner that it appears and disappears from a pusher opening provided on the front end portion of the storage section.

[0013] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned item storage device, the horizontal partition member among the partition members that divides the interior of the module body into upper and lower sections has a reinforcing metal piece removably attached to the front end portion to improve strength. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, the opening adjustment mechanism urges the opening / closing door in the closing direction when the opening degree of the opening / closing door is equal to or greater than a preset threshold, while restricting the urging of the opening / closing door in the closing direction and leaving it free when the opening degree is less than the threshold.Therefore, the front door can close the front opening, thereby allowing the opening / closing door to close the front part of the storage area, and there is no need to constantly hold the opening / closing door with fingers, etc., thereby improving convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the external configuration of an item storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a typical control system of the item storage device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view showing the internal structure of the device main body shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the item storage device shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the front door is swung in the opening direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the storage module shown in FIG. [Figure 6-1] FIG. 6-1 is a perspective view showing the inside of the storage module shown in FIG. [Figure 6-2]FIG. 6-2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the storage module shown in FIG. [Figure 6-3] FIG. 6-3 is an exploded perspective view showing the inside of the storage module shown in FIG. [Figure 7-1] FIG. 7-1 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the storage module shown in FIG. [Figure 7-2] FIG. 7-2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a part of the partition member is attached to the module main body shown in FIG. 7-1. [Figure 7-3] FIG. 7-3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a part of the partition member is attached to the module main body shown in FIG. 7-1. [Figure 8-1] FIG. 8-1 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the storage module shown in FIG. [Figure 8-2] FIG. 8-2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the storage module shown in FIG. [Figure 8-3] FIG. 8-3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the storage module shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a case where a partition member partitions the interior of the module body into upper and lower storage areas. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the horizontal partition plate, the connecting member, and the reinforcing metal shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the horizontal partition plate, the connecting member, and the reinforcing metal shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the opening and closing door that constitutes the storage module shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the opening and closing door shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the opening and closing door shown in FIGS. [Figure 15] FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b) are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the opening degree adjusting mechanism. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the upper left door and the lower left door connected by the connector. [Figure 17-1]FIG. 17-1 is a perspective view showing the surrounding structure of the upper left detection lever. [Figure 17-2] FIG. 17-2 is a perspective view showing the surrounding structure of the upper left detection lever. [Figure 17-3] FIG. 17-3 is a perspective view showing the surrounding structure of the upper left detection lever. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the left lever support member. [Figure 19-1] 19-1 is a cross-sectional view showing the mounting state of the left lever support member shown in FIG. [Figure 19-2] 19-2 is a cross-sectional view showing the mounting state of the left lever support member shown in FIG. [Figure 20] 20 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the left lever support member shown in FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing the left lever support member. [Figure 22] 22 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the left lever support member shown in FIG. [Figure 23] 23(a) to 23(f) are explanatory diagrams showing examples of displays on the display unit of the remote controller shown in FIG. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing the processing contents executed by the control unit shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of an article storage device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] 1 and 2 each show an item storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, with Fig. 1 being a front view showing the exterior configuration of the item storage device, and Fig. 2 being a block diagram showing a typical control system of the item storage device. The item storage device 1 illustrated here is a locker device used, for example, as a delivery locker, and includes a device main body 2. Note that, below, each component of the item storage device 1 will be described according to the directions indicated in Fig. 1.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 3, the device main body 2 is a rectangular housing with two front openings 2a on the front, and has an insulated structure by incorporating insulating materials such as urethane foam or vacuum insulation. Inside this device main body 2, multiple storage areas 3 are formed lined up vertically, facing each front opening 2a. The device main body 2 also includes a cooling unit (not shown), which operates to cool each storage area 3 to a predetermined temperature or below.

[0019] In such an apparatus main body 2, two front doors 4 are provided in a manner that opens and closes each front opening 2a. Although not shown in the figure, these two front doors 4 have a heat-insulating structure in which a heat insulating material such as urethane foam or vacuum insulation material is laid between the outer panel and the inner panel.

[0020] In addition, the left front door 4 is provided with its left edge swingably on the device main body 2 in a manner to open and close the left front opening 2a, and the right front door 4 is provided with its right edge swingably on the device main body 2 in a manner to open and close the right front opening 2a.

[0021] Meanwhile, a front door open / close detector 31 and a front door lock mechanism 32 are provided near each front opening 2a of the device body 2.

[0022] The front door open / close detection unit 31 is configured with, for example, an optical sensor, and detects the opening and closing of the front opening 2a by the front door 4. More specifically, the front door open / close detection unit 31 detects whether the front opening 2a of the apparatus main body 2 is closed, i.e., whether the front door 4 is closed. The front door open / close detection unit 31 sends the detection result, whether the front door 4 is closed or not, as a signal to the control unit 40, which will be described later.

[0023] The front door lock mechanism 32 is capable of switching between a locked state in which the front door 4 that closes the front opening 2a is kept closed and the front door 4 is prevented from swinging forward, and an unlocked state in which the front door 4 is allowed to swing forward. The front door lock mechanism 32 is switched in response to a command given from the control unit 40.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 4, a storage module 10 is stored in the storage area 3. The storage module 10 is made of a resin material such as plastic, and includes a module body 11, a partition member 13, a reinforcing bar 15, an opening / closing door 17, and an article detection lever 19, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 (Figs. 6-1 to 6-3).

[0025] As shown in Fig. 7-1, the module body 11 is a rectangular parallelepiped with an open front portion and is made up of a bottom wall 111, left and right side walls 112, a back wall 113, and a top wall 114. The module body 11 has dimensions slightly smaller than the storage area 3, and it is preferable that each wall contacts each surface that constitutes the storage area 3. Furthermore, in the module body 11, the left and right side walls 112 are formed with a plurality of passage holes 112a for circulating air.

[0026] The partitioning member 13 is used to partition the inside of the module body 11, and is composed of horizontal partition plates (horizontal partitioning members) 131, 132, vertical partition plates 133, 134, and a connecting member 135.

[0027] The horizontal partition plates 131, 132 are used to divide the interior of the module body 11 into upper and lower sections, and include a left-side horizontal partition plate 131 and a right-side horizontal partition plate 132. The left-side horizontal partition plate 131 and the right-side horizontal partition plate 132 have the same front-to-back and left-to-right dimensions.

[0028] The vertical partitions 133, 134 are used to divide the interior of the module main body 11 into left and right sections, and include an upper vertical partition 133 and a lower vertical partition 134. The upper vertical partition 133 and the lower vertical partition 134 have the same front-to-rear and top-to-bottom dimensions. A pair of lower end flanges 134a extending along the front-to-rear direction is provided at the lower end of the lower vertical partition 134, and a pair of upper end flanges 133a extending along the front-to-rear direction is provided at the upper end of the upper vertical partition 133.

[0029] The connecting member 135 is an elongated member whose longitudinal direction is the front-to-rear direction, and its front-to-rear dimension is approximately the same as that of the horizontal partitions 131, 132 and the vertical partitions 133, 134. The connecting member 135 is formed with an upper entrance groove 135a (see FIG. 7-2), a lower entrance groove 135b (see FIG. 7-2), a left entrance groove 135c (see FIG. 8-1), and a right entrance groove 135d (see FIG. 8-1). The upper entrance groove 135a is for receiving the lower edge of the upper vertical partition 133. The lower entrance groove 135b is for receiving the upper edge of the lower vertical partition 134. The left entrance groove 135c is for receiving the right edge of the left horizontal partition 131. The right entrance groove 135d is for the left edge of the right horizontal partition plate 132 to enter.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 7-2 and 7-3, such a partition member 13 can partition the inside of the module body 11 as follows.

[0031] The left-side horizontal partition plate 131 and the right-side horizontal partition plate 132 are connected via a connecting member 135; that is, the right edge of the left-side horizontal partition plate 131 is inserted into the left-side entrance groove 135c of the connecting member 135, while the left edge of the right-side horizontal partition plate 132 is inserted into the right-side entrance groove 135d of the connecting member 135, and they are connected; the rear edges of the left-side horizontal partition plate 131, the right-side horizontal partition plate 132, and the connecting member 135 are inserted into the horizontal entrance groove 113a formed in the rear wall portion 113, while the left edge of the left-side horizontal partition plate 131 is inserted into the left-side wall entrance groove 112b formed in the left side wall portion 112, and the right edge of the right-side horizontal partition plate 132 is inserted into the right-side wall entrance groove 112c formed in the right side wall portion 112.

[0032] Then, the lower edge of the lower vertical partition plate 134 is inserted into the bottom wall insertion groove 111a formed in the bottom wall portion 111, while the upper edge is inserted into the lower insertion groove 135b of the connecting member 135, and the rear edge of the lower vertical partition plate 134 is inserted into the vertical insertion groove 113b provided in the back wall portion 113. At this time, the lower end flange 134a of the lower vertical partition plate 134 is in contact with the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 111.

[0033] Next, the upper edge of the upper vertical divider plate 133 is inserted into the top wall insertion groove 114a formed in the top wall portion 114, while the lower edge is inserted into the upper insertion groove 135a of the connecting member 135, and the rear edge of the upper vertical divider plate 133 is inserted into the vertical insertion groove 113b provided in the rear wall portion 113. At this time, the upper end flange 133a of the upper vertical divider plate 133 is in contact with the underside of the top wall portion 114. This allows the partitioning member 13 to partition the interior of the module main body 11 into four storage areas 12.

[0034] The following describes an example of compartments inside the module body 11. As shown in Fig. 7-1, by removing the compartment member 13 from the module body 11, one storage area 12 can be defined inside the module body 11.

[0035] 7-1, the left-side horizontal partition plate 131 and the right-side horizontal partition plate 132 are connected via the connecting member 135, and the rear edges of the left-side horizontal partition plate 131, the right-side horizontal partition plate 132, and the connecting member 135 are inserted into the horizontal entrance groove 113a, while the left edge of the left-side horizontal partition plate 131 is inserted into the left-side wall entrance groove 112b, and the right edge of the right-side horizontal partition plate 132 is inserted into the right-side wall entrance groove 112c. In this way, the partition member 13 can divide the interior of the module main body 11 into upper and lower storage areas 12, as shown in FIG.

[0036] Furthermore, by removing the left horizontal partition plate 131 and the right horizontal partition plate 132 from the state in which four storage areas 12 are defined as shown in Figure 7-3, the partition member 13 can divide the interior of the module main body 11 into left and right sections to define two storage areas 12, as shown in Figure 8-1.

[0037] Furthermore, by removing the left horizontal partition plate 131 from the state in which four storage areas 12 are defined as shown in Figure 7-3, the partition member 13 can divide the interior of the module main body 11 into upper and lower and left and right sections to define three storage areas 12, as shown in Figure 8-2.

[0038] Furthermore, by removing the right-side horizontal partition plate 132 from the state in which four storage areas 12 are defined as shown in Figure 7-3, the partition member 13 can divide the interior of the module main body 11 into upper and lower and left and right sections to define three storage areas 12, as shown in Figure 8-3.

[0039] In this way, the partition member 13 can define storage areas 12 1 to 4 inside the module body 11 .

[0040] The reinforcing metal 15 is made of, for example, sheet metal, and is a long member with its longitudinal direction in the left-right direction. This reinforcing metal 15 is detachable and is provided when the partitioning member 13 defines four storage areas 12 inside the module main body 11 as shown in Figures 6-1 and 6-2, or when the partitioning member 13 defines two storage areas 12 by dividing the inside of the module main body 11 into upper and lower areas as shown in Figure 9.

[0041] 10 and 11, such a reinforcing metal 15 has a size in the left-right dimension that can cover the entire area of ​​the front end portions of the left horizontal partition plate 131, the connecting member 135, and the right horizontal partition plate 132, and has a U-shaped vertical cross section. Such a reinforcing metal 15 is attached to the horizontal partition plates 131, 132 and the connecting member 135 in such a manner that the distance between the upper surface portion 151 and the lower surface portion 152 is slightly larger than the vertical dimension of the front end portions of the horizontal partition plates 131, 132 and the connecting member 135, and the front end portions of the horizontal partition plates 131, 132 and the connecting member 135 relatively enter between them.

[0042] Such reinforcing metal 15 is attached to horizontal partition plates 131, 132 and connecting member 135 to improve the strength of horizontal partition plates 131, 132 and connecting member 135. In addition, the rear end portions of upper surface portion 151 and lower surface portion 152 of reinforcing metal 15 are hemmed.

[0043] The opening and closing doors 17 are provided on the module body 11 in correspondence with the maximum number (four) of storage areas 12 defined by the partition members 13, and include an upper left opening and closing door 171, a lower left opening and closing door 172, an upper right opening and closing door 173, and a lower right opening and closing door 174.

[0044] The upper-left opening / closing door 171 is a door body large enough to close the front portion of the upper-left storage area 12 when the interior of the module main body 11 is divided into four storage areas 12. The left side of this upper-left opening / closing door 171 is pivotally supported by an upper-left shaft 181 provided at the upper front end portion of the left side wall portion 112 of the module main body 11, and is capable of swinging forward and backward in a manner approaching and moving away from the module main body 11. In other words, the upper-left opening / closing door 171 opens the front portion of the upper-left storage area 12 by swinging forward, and closes the front portion of the upper-left storage area 12 by swinging backward.

[0045] The lower-left opening / closing door 172 is a door body large enough to close the front portion of the lower-left storage area 12 when the interior of the module main body 11 is divided into four storage areas 12. The left side of this lower-left opening / closing door 172 is pivotally supported by a lower-left shaft 182 provided at the lower front end portion of the left side wall portion 112 of the module main body 11, and is capable of swinging forward and backward in a manner approaching and moving away from the module main body 11. In other words, the lower-left opening / closing door 172 opens the front portion of the lower-left storage area 12 by swinging forward, and closes the front portion of the lower-left storage area 12 by swinging backward.

[0046] The upper right opening / closing door 173 is a door body large enough to close the front portion of the upper right storage area 12 when the interior of the module main body 11 is divided into four storage areas 12. The right side of this upper right opening / closing door 173 is pivotally supported by an upper right shaft 183 provided on the upper front end portion of the right side wall 112 of the module main body 11, and is capable of swinging forward and backward in a manner approaching and moving away from the module main body 11. In other words, the upper right opening / closing door 173 opens the front portion of the upper right storage area 12 by swinging forward, and closes the front portion of the upper right storage area 12 by swinging backward.

[0047] The lower-right opening / closing door 174 is a door body large enough to close the front portion of the lower-right storage area 12 when the interior of the module main body 11 is divided into four storage areas 12. The right side of this lower-right opening / closing door 174 is pivotally supported by a lower-right shaft 184 provided at the lower front end portion of the right side wall portion 112 of the module main body 11, and is capable of swinging forward and backward in a manner approaching and moving away from the module main body 11. In other words, the lower-right opening / closing door 174 opens the front portion of the lower-right storage area 12 by swinging forward, and closes the front portion of the lower-right storage area 12 by swinging backward.

[0048] Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the upper-left opening / closing door 171, and Fig. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper-left opening / closing door 171. The structure of the upper-left opening / closing door 171 will be described using Figs. 12 and 13 etc. Note that the lower-left opening / closing door 172, the upper-right opening / closing door 173, and the lower-right opening / closing door 174 have the same basic configuration as the upper-left opening / closing door 171, except that they differ in the up-down direction or the left-right direction. Therefore, only the upper-left opening / closing door 171 will be described here, and descriptions of the lower-left opening / closing door 172, the upper-right opening / closing door 173, and the lower-right opening / closing door 174 will be omitted.

[0049] 12 and 13, the upper left opening / closing door 171 is provided with a pusher member 171a. The pusher member 171a is provided in a truncated cone-shaped storage section 171b that is provided in a manner that protrudes forward from the front surface of the upper left opening / closing door 171, and is provided so as to be movable forward and backward in the front-to-rear direction so as to appear and disappear from a pusher opening 171c formed at the front end portion of the storage section 171b.

[0050] The pusher member 171a is stored in a storage section 171b together with a pusher spring 171d, which is a biasing means, and in a normal state, is biased by the pusher spring 171d to move forward so that a portion of the pusher member 171a is exposed from a pusher opening 171c.

[0051] As shown in Figure 14, when the front door 4 (left front door 4) swinging backward blocks the front opening 2a (left front opening 2a) and is pressed against the front door 4, such a pusher member 171a can move backward against the biasing force of the pusher spring 171d.

[0052] An opening degree adjustment mechanism 181a is provided on the upper left shaft portion 181 that serves as the swing shaft of the upper left opening / closing door 171. The opening degree adjustment mechanism 181a is configured by a torsion spring that is arranged in a manner that winds around the upper left shaft portion 181, as shown in FIG.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 15(a), this opening adjustment mechanism 181a biases the upper-left opening / closing door 171 in the closing direction when the opening angle α of the upper-left opening / closing door 171 is equal to or greater than a preset threshold, while as shown in Fig. 15(b), when the opening angle α is less than the threshold, it restricts the biasing of the upper-left opening / closing door 171 to leave it free. Here, the "threshold" is preferably, for example, 45° or greater.

[0054] Although an example of such an opening adjustment mechanism 181a composed of a torsion spring has been given, in the present invention, the mechanism may not be composed of only a torsion spring, but may also be provided with a member that regulates the spring force of the torsion spring when the opening α falls below a threshold value.

[0055] Incidentally, when the partition member 13 divides the interior of the module main body 11 into left and right sections to define two storage areas 12 as described above (see Figure 8-1), it is preferable to connect the upper left opening / closing door 171 and the lower left opening / closing door 172 to each other with a connector 185, as shown in Figure 16, and to connect the upper right opening / closing door 173 and the lower right opening / closing door 174 to each other with a connector (not shown).

[0056] In the module body 11, a door opening / closing detector 33, a door locking mechanism 34, and a partition member detection switch 35 are provided for each of the doors 17.

[0057] The door open / close detection unit 33 is configured with, for example, an optical sensor, and detects whether the corresponding door 17 is closed or not. The door open / close detection unit 33 sends the detection result, whether the corresponding door 17 is closed or not, to the control unit 40 as a signal.

[0058] The door locking mechanism 34 is switchable between a locked state in which the corresponding door 17 that closes the front portion of the storage area 12 is kept closed and the door 17 is prevented from swinging forward, and an unlocked state in which the door 17 is allowed to swing forward. The door locking mechanism 34 is switched in accordance with a command given from the control unit 40. Note that various means can be used to restrict the forward swing of the door 17 by the door locking mechanism 34, and a part of the door locking mechanism 34 may be engaged with a part of the door 17 to restrict swinging.

[0059] The partition member detection switch 35 is a detection means for detecting whether or not the partition member 13 is installed, and is provided corresponding to each of the left horizontal partition plate 131, right horizontal partition plate 132, upper vertical partition plate 133, and lower vertical partition plate 134 that make up the partition member 13, and sends an ON signal to the control unit 40 when the partition plate corresponding to it is installed.

[0060] The item detection levers 19 are provided on the module body 11 in correspondence with the maximum number of storage items (four) defined by the partition member 13, and include an upper left detection lever 191, an upper right detection lever 192, a lower left detection lever 193, and a lower right detection lever 194.

[0061] 17-1 to 17-3 are perspective views showing the peripheral structure of the upper-left detection lever 191, with some components not shown. Note that the upper-right detection lever 192 differs from the upper-left detection lever 191 only in its configuration in the left-right direction, and therefore, in the following, only the upper-left detection lever 191 will be described, and a description of the upper-right detection lever 192 will be omitted.

[0062] As also shown in FIGS. 17-1 to 17-3, the upper left detection lever 191 is installed on the left lever support member 20 provided on the left side wall portion 112 of the module body 11 above the left side wall entrance groove 112b.

[0063] The left-side lever support member 20 has a rectangular shape and is made of a resin material such as plastic. As shown in Fig. 18, the left-side lever support member 20 has a front-end shaft-like portion 21a that protrudes forward from the front end of the left end and a rear-end shaft-like portion 21b that protrudes rearward from the rear end of the left end, which are inserted into support holes (not shown) formed in the lower part of a left-side storage recess 112d formed in the left side wall portion 112, so that the left-side lever support member 20 is swingable about the central axes of the front-end shaft-like portion 21a and the rear-end shaft-like portion 21b, as shown in Figs. 17-1 to 17-3.

[0064] When the left horizontal partition plate 131 is provided, the left lever support member 20 swings downward away from the left side wall portion 112 and, as shown in Fig. 17-1, enters the left cutout portion 131a formed in the left horizontal partition plate 131 and is positioned so that its upper surface is substantially flush with the upper surface of the left horizontal partition plate 131. On the other hand, when the left horizontal partition plate 131 is not provided, the left lever support member 20 swings upward close to the left side wall portion 112 and is stored in the left storage recess 112d as shown in Fig. 17-3.

[0065] 19-1 and 19-2, a curved protrusion 22 is formed in the central region in the front-to-rear direction of the left end portion of the left lever support member 20. When the left lever support member 20 swings downward away from the left side wall portion 112, as shown in Fig. 19-1, the curved protrusion 22 is located at a position separated from the lower region of the left receiving portion 112e formed at the lower end portion of the left storage recess 112d, and when the left lever support member 20 is stored in the left storage recess 112d, as shown in Fig. 19-2, the curved protrusion 22 is located in the lower region of the left receiving portion 112e.

[0066] As a result, when the left-side lever support member 20 swings downward in a manner that moves it away from the left-side side wall portion 112, the front end shaft-shaped portion 21a and the rear end shaft-shaped portion 21b are disengaged from the support holes, allowing it to be removed from the left-side side wall portion 112.On the other hand, when the left-side lever support member 20 is stored in the left-side storage recess 112d, the curved protrusion 22 is positioned in the lower region of the left-side receiving portion 112e, making it difficult to disengage the front end shaft-shaped portion 21a and the rear end shaft-shaped portion 21b from the support holes, and ultimately restricting it from being removed from the left-side side wall portion 112.

[0067] As shown in Figures 18 and 20, the upper left detection lever 191 is swingably provided so as to protrude from and retract into the upper surface of the left lever support member 20, and is biased by a biasing means (not shown) so as to protrude from the upper surface of the left lever support member 20.

[0068] When the left lever support member 20 is positioned in a state where it has entered the left cutout portion 131a of the left horizontal partition plate 131, and when the upper left detection lever 191 is pressed by an item stored in the storage area 12, it swings downward against the biasing force of the biasing means so as to recede from the upper surface of the left lever support member 20, as shown in Figures 21 and 22, turning off the item detection switch 36 provided inside the left lever support member 20, and when the item is removed, it swings so as to protrude from the upper surface of the left lever support member 20, turning on the item detection switch 36. The item detection switch 36, together with the upper left detection lever 191, constitutes the item detection means, and when it is turned on, it detects that an item is not present and sends a notification to that effect to the control unit 40.

[0069] 20 and 22, the left lever support member 20 has a switch accommodating wall 23 formed in a manner that surrounds the article detection switch 36, and the upper left detection lever 191 also has a lever lower wall 191a that protrudes downward and is capable of surrounding the switch accommodating wall 23 when the upper left detection lever 191 swings downward. This prevents condensation water, etc. from reaching the article detection switch 36, thereby improving waterproofing, even if condensation water, etc., enters the inside of the left lever support member 20 from between the upper left detection lever 191 and the left lever support member 20.

[0070] Next, we will explain the lower-left detection lever 193 and the lower-right detection lever 194. The lower-left detection lever 193 is provided on the bottom wall 111 of the module main body 11 to the left of the bottom wall entry groove 111a. The lower-left detection lever 193 is provided so as to be swingable up and down so as to move back and forth relative to the upper region of the bottom wall 111, and is biased by a biasing means (not shown) so as to swing upward.

[0071] When pressed by an item stored in the storage area 12, the lower left detection lever 193 swings downward against the biasing force of the biasing means and moves back from the upper area of ​​the bottom wall 111, turning off the item detection switch 36 provided corresponding to it, whereas when the item is removed, it swings upward and moves forward into the upper area of ​​the bottom wall 111, turning on the item detection switch 36. When the item detection switch 36 is turned on, it detects that an item is not present and sends a notification to that effect to the control unit 40.

[0072] The lower right detection lever 194 is provided to the right of the bottom wall entry groove 111a on the bottom wall 111 of the module main body 11. The lower right detection lever 194 is provided so as to be swingable up and down so as to move back and forth relative to the upper region of the bottom wall 111, and is biased by a biasing means (not shown) so as to swing upward.

[0073] When pressed by an item stored in the storage area 12, the lower right detection lever 194 swings downward against the biasing force of the biasing means and moves back from the upper area of ​​the bottom wall 111, turning off the item detection switch 36 provided corresponding to it, whereas when the item is removed, it swings upward and moves forward into the upper area of ​​the bottom wall 111, turning on the item detection switch 36. When the item detection switch 36 is turned on, it detects that an item is not present and sends a notification to that effect to the control unit 40.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 2, the item storage device 1 includes an operation input unit 37, a remote controller 38, and a control unit 40 in addition to the above components.

[0075] The operation input unit 37 is provided at any location on the device main body 2. This operation input unit 37 is configured with, for example, a touch panel, and when an item is selected by touch operation, it sends a message to the control unit 40 to that effect.

[0076] The remote control 38 is provided in the device main body 2 and is an input means through which a manager or the like of the item storage device 1 performs input operations such as setting operations. The remote control 38 is provided with a display unit 38a that can display various information.

[0077] The control unit 40 is electrically connected to the operation input unit 37, the front door opening / closing detection unit group 31A, the front door locking mechanism group 32A, the door body opening / closing detection unit group 33A, the door body locking mechanism group 34A, the partition member detection switch group 35A and the item detection switch group 36A, and controls the overall operation of each part of the item storage device 1 in accordance with the programs and data stored in the memory unit 41 which is also electrically connected.

[0078] The front door open / close detection unit group 31A is a collection of the front door open / close detection units 31 described above. The front door lock mechanism group 32A is a collection of the front door lock mechanisms 32 described above. The door body open / close detection unit group 33A is a collection of the door body open / close detection units 33 described above. The door body lock mechanism group 34A is a collection of the door body lock mechanisms 34 described above. The partition member detection switch group 35A is a collection of the partition member detection switches 35 described above. The item detection switch group 36A is a collection of the item detection switches 36 described above. Information regarding the items stored in each storage area 12 is stored as item information in the memory unit 41.

[0079] The control unit 40 may be realized, for example, by having a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) execute a program, i.e., by software, or by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit), or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0080] In such an article storage device 1, the control unit 40 causes the display unit 38a of the remote controller 38 to display the following contents depending on whether or not the partition member detection switch 35 constituting the partition member detection switch group 35A has an on signal.

[0081] That is, when the corresponding storage module 10 has four storage areas 12 defined inside the module body 11 as shown in Figure 7-3, the control unit 40 causes the display unit 38a to display the four storage areas 12 as shown in (a) of Figure 23.

[0082] In addition, when the storage module 10 in question has two upper and lower storage areas 12 defined inside the module body 11 as shown in Figure 7-2, the control unit 40 causes the display unit 38a to display the two upper and lower storage areas 12 as shown in (b) of Figure 23.

[0083] Furthermore, when the storage module 10 in question has two storage areas 12 defined inside the module body 11, one on the left and one on the right, as shown in Figure 8-1, the control unit 40 causes the display unit 38a to display the two storage areas 12 on the left and one on the right, as shown in (c) of Figure 23.

[0084] Furthermore, when three storage areas 12 are defined inside the module body 11 of the corresponding storage module 10 as shown in Figures 8-2 and 8-3, the control unit 40 causes the display unit 38a to display the three storage areas 12 as shown in (d) and (e) of Figure 23.

[0085] In addition, when one storage area 12 is defined inside the module main body 11 of the corresponding storage module 10 as shown in Figure 7-1, the control unit 40 causes the display unit 38a to display one storage area 12 as shown in (f) of Figure 23.

[0086] The control unit 40 not only displays the patterns (a) to (f) of Figure 23, but also automatically sets the openable / closable doors 17 and detectable item detection switches 36 for each of these patterns, thereby eliminating manual setting errors.

[0087] Fig. 24 is a flowchart showing the processing contents performed by the control unit 40 shown in Fig. 2. While explaining the processing contents, we will also explain the operation of the item storage device 1. Note that, as a premise for the explanation, it is assumed that the front door locking mechanism 32 and the door body locking mechanism 34 are in a locked state.

[0088] The control unit 40 determines whether or not an item has been selected on the operation input unit 37 (step S101). If an item has not been selected (step S101: No), the control unit 40 repeats the above process.

[0089] When an item is selected (step S101: Yes), the control unit 40 releases the corresponding front door locking mechanism 32 and the corresponding door body locking mechanism 34 based on the item information stored in the memory unit 41 (steps S102, S103).

[0090] This allows the user to swing the corresponding front door 4 in the opening direction (forward) and also swing the corresponding opening / closing door 17 (upper left opening / closing door 171) in the opening direction (forward) to remove items stored in the storage area 12.

[0091] After performing step S103, the control unit 40 determines whether the item detection switch 36 (the item detection switch 36 corresponding to the upper left detection lever 191) of the corresponding storage area 12 (the upper left storage area 12) detects the absence of an item (step S104). If the absence of an item is not detected (step S104: No), the control unit 40 repeats this process.

[0092] If it is detected that no article is present (step S104: Yes), the control unit 40 determines whether the door body open / close detection unit 33 has detected that the corresponding door 17 is closed (step S105). If the door 17 is not detected as closed (step S105: No), the control unit 40 repeats this process.

[0093] If the opening / closing door 17 is detected as closed (step S105: Yes), the control unit 40 determines whether the front door 4 is detected as closed by the front door opening / closing detection unit 31 (step S106). If the front door 4 is not detected as closed (step S106: No), the control unit 40 repeats this process.

[0094] If the front door 4 is detected as closed (step S106: Yes), the control unit 40 locks the door body locking mechanism 34 that was released in step S103 above, and locks the front door locking mechanism 32 that was released in step S102 above (steps S107, S108), and then terminates this processing.

[0095] As described above, according to the item storage device 1 which is an embodiment of the present invention, the opening adjustment mechanism 181a urges the opening / closing door 17 in the closing direction when the opening degree α of the opening / closing door 17 is equal to or greater than a threshold value, while restricting the urging of the opening / closing door 17 in the closing direction and leaving it free when the opening degree α is less than the threshold value. Therefore, by blocking the front opening 2a with the front door 4, the user can block the front part of the storage area 12 with the opening / closing door 17, and there is no need to constantly hold the opening / closing door 17 with fingers, etc., thereby improving convenience.

[0096] In particular, even in the item storage device 1 in which the control unit 40 locks the door body locking mechanism 34 when the door body opening / closing detection unit 33 detects that the corresponding opening / closing door 17 is closed, the door body locking mechanism 34 can be prevented from entering a locked state even if the user removes their hand from the opening / closing door 17, thereby improving convenience.

[0097] Furthermore, since the threshold value is 45° or more, when a user removes their fingers from the opening / closing door 17, the opening angle α of the opening / closing door 17 becomes less than 45°, which prevents the front door 4 from being obstructed in swinging in the closing direction.

[0098] Furthermore, according to the item storage device 1, the pusher member 171a, which is provided so as to be able to move forward and backward so as to appear and disappear from the front portion of the opening and closing door 17, is biased by the pusher spring 171d so as to move forward and backward. Therefore, when pressed against the front door 4 that blocks the front opening 2a, the pusher member 171a moves backward against the biasing force of the pusher spring 171d, thereby absorbing variations in the gap between the front door 4 and the opening and closing door 17, i.e., variations caused by dimensional errors between the front door 4 and the opening and closing door 17, etc.

[0099] In particular, the pusher member 171a is arranged in a truncated cone-shaped storage section 171b provided on the front portion of the opening / closing door 17 so as to be movable forward and backward in the front-to-back direction in a manner that it appears and disappears from a pusher opening 171c formed at the front end portion of the storage section 171b, making it difficult for users to grab the opening / closing door 17 or the storage section 171b, thereby improving theft prevention while suppressing tampering.

[0100] Furthermore, according to the item storage device 1, the reinforcing metal 15 is attached to the horizontal partitions 131, 132 and the connecting member 135, thereby improving the strength of the horizontal partitions 131, 132 and the connecting member 135, and therefore, when the partitioning member 13 divides the interior of the module main body 11 into upper and lower storage areas 12 as shown in Fig. 9, it is possible to prevent the horizontal partitions 131, 132 from bending downward due to the weight of items, etc. In particular, the rear end portions of the upper surface portion 151 and the lower surface portion 152 of the reinforcing metal 15 are hemmed, which makes it possible to prevent damage to items, etc.

[0101] Furthermore, the item storage device 1 can provide the following advantageous effects.

[0102] When the partition member 13 divides the interior of the module main body 11 into left and right sections to form two storage areas 12, the upper left opening / closing door 171 and the lower left opening / closing door 172 are connected to each other with a connector 185, and the upper right opening / closing door 173 and the lower right opening / closing door 174 are connected to each other with a connector (not shown).This allows the opening / closing doors 17 connected with the connector 185 to be opened and closed with a single operation, making it easy to replenish and remove items from the storage area 12.

[0103] The control unit 40 displays the contents shown in (a) to (f) of Figure 23 on the display unit 38a of the remote control 38 depending on whether or not the partition member detection switches 35 that make up the partition member detection switch group 35A have an on signal, so that there is no need for an administrator or the like to check the installation status of the partition members 13 and determine the number of storage areas 12, etc., thereby improving convenience.

[0104] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications can be made.

[0105] In the above-described embodiment, a door locking mechanism 34 is provided for each door 17, but in the present invention, a door locking mechanism does not necessarily have to be provided for each door.

[0106] In the above-described embodiment, a front door opening / closing detection unit 31 and a front door locking mechanism 32 were provided, but in the present invention, the front door opening / closing detection unit and the front door locking mechanism do not need to be provided as long as a door body locking mechanism is provided for each opening and closing door.

[0107] In the above-described embodiment, the partition member detection switch 35 is provided, but in the present invention, the partition member detection switch does not necessarily have to be provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1...Item storage device, 2...Device body, 2a...Front opening, 3...Storage area, 4...Front door, 10...Storage module, 11...Module body, 12...Storage area, 13...Partition member, 131, 132...Horizontal partition board, 133, 134...Vertical partition board, 135...Connecting member, 15...Reinforcing metal, 17...Opening and closing door, 171...Upper left opening and closing door, 171a...Pusher member, 171b...Storage section, 171c...Pusher opening, 171d...Pusher spring, 172...Lower left opening and closing door, 173...Upper right opening and closing door, 174...Lower right opening and closing door, 181...Upper left Shaft portion, 182...lower left shaft portion, 183...upper right shaft portion, 184...lower right shaft portion, 181a...opening adjustment mechanism, 185...connector, 19...article detection lever, 191...upper left detection lever, 192...upper right detection lever, 193...lower left detection lever, 194...lower right detection lever, 20...left side lever support member, 31...front door opening / closing detection portion, 32...front door locking mechanism, 33...door body opening / closing detection portion, 34...door body locking mechanism, 35...compartment member detection switch, 36...article detection switch, 37...operation input portion, 38...remote control, 40...control portion.

Claims

1. An item storage device comprising: a device body having a rectangular storage area defined therein facing a front opening formed on the front surface; and a front door provided on the device body so as to be swingable to open and close the front opening, a rectangular parallelepiped module main body that is stored in the storage area and has an open front area; a partition member that is detachably provided inside the module body and that partitions the interior into at least one of upper and lower and left and right sections to define a plurality of storage areas; an opening / closing door that is swingably provided on the module body in a manner that opens and closes a front portion of the storage area defined by the partition member; an opening degree adjustment mechanism that biases the opening / closing door in a closing direction when the opening degree of the opening / closing door is equal to or greater than a preset threshold, and that restricts the biasing of the opening / closing door in the closing direction to make the door free when the opening degree is less than the threshold; An article storage device comprising:

2. 2. The article storage device according to claim 1, wherein the threshold value is equal to or greater than 45 degrees.

3. 2. The item storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism provided for each of the opening and closing doors, which is capable of switching between a locked state in which the opening and closing doors are kept closed and an unlocked state in which the opening and closing doors are allowed to open the front portion of the storage area.

4. 3. The article storage device according to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing door is provided with a push member that is movable forward and backward so as to protrude from and retract into the front portion, and that is biased by a biasing means so as to move forward and backward.

5. The item storage device according to claim 4, characterized in that the push member is arranged to be movable forward and backward in a manner that it appears and disappears from a pusher opening provided at the front end portion of a truncated cone-shaped storage section provided at the front portion of the opening and closing door.

6. 3. The item storage device according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal partition members that divide the interior of the module body into upper and lower sections have a reinforcing bar attached to the front end portion for strength enhancement.

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