Delivery box

Abstract

To provide a delivery box in which a delivery person does not need to perform a locking operation and in which packages can be put in any number of times as long as there is sufficient space in a storage section. [Solution] The delivery of the parcel is completed when the delivery person places the parcel against the multiple flaps 15 arranged opposite the push gate 16 of the parcel insertion section 13 and pushes the parcel into the storage section 11 against the respective biasing forces. This eliminates the need for the delivery person to lock the parcel box 10. Even if a suspicious person attempts to steal the parcel from the storage section 11 after that, the opposing flaps 15 are restricted from rotating in the direction opposite to the direction in which the parcel is pushed into the storage section 11, so the person is prevented from removing the parcel from the push gate 16. In addition, since the parcel insertion section 13 is not always locked, parcels can be inserted any number of times as long as there is sufficient space in the storage section 11 after the parcel has been inserted.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention relates to a delivery box that allows residents to receive parcels even when they are not at home. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the rise in online shopping and food delivery services has led to a surge in demand for personal delivery lockers, which allow people to receive parcels even when they are not at home. Conventionally, a personal delivery box has a box-shaped storage unit with a locked door attached to the entrance and exit of the package as the main body. A delivery person who comes to deliver the package opens the door of the delivery box, stores the package in the storage unit, and then closes and locks the door (for example, Patent Document 1, etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2024-81550 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, because the locking methods for conventional delivery lockers differ depending on the manufacturer and model, it is difficult for delivery personnel to understand how to operate and lock each home's delivery locker, and in some cases the locker is not actually locked. In addition, with conventional delivery lockers, once the lock was locked, the delivery person could not open the locker, so even if there was extra space in the storage area, the delivery person who came to deliver another package thereafter could not use the locker.

[0005] Therefore, after extensive research, the inventor discovered that all of the above-mentioned problems could be solved by providing an anti-theft flap section in the luggage insertion section of the storage unit, in which multiple flaps are arranged opposite each other so that luggage can be pushed in between them, and thus completed the present invention.

[0006] The present invention has been developed in consideration of the conventional problems, and aims to provide a delivery box that does not require the delivery person to lock the box and into which packages can be put any number of times as long as there is sufficient space in the storage section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention described in claim 1 is a delivery box comprising a storage section with a door for storing delivered luggage, and a luggage insertion section provided in the storage section for inserting the luggage, wherein the luggage insertion section is provided with a luggage push-in gate section having a plurality of rotatable flap plates arranged in pairs, and the plurality of paired flaps are constantly biased in a direction in which their tips overlap or approach each other, while rotation in the opposite direction to the direction in which the luggage is pushed into the storage section is restricted.

[0008] The door, the storage section and the flap plate may be made of various metals such as steel and stainless steel. The size of the door and storage section may be any size as long as they are capable of receiving and storing parcels to be delivered. The baggage insertion section may be provided, for example, at the upper end of the storage section or on the peripheral side (front, left, right side, etc.).

[0009] The flap plate referred to here is a rotatable plate member for pushing in luggage stored in the storage section to make it difficult to remove it through the gate section. The flap plate may have any shape, for example, a polygonal shape including a rectangular shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a rod shape, or the like. The size of the flap is also arbitrary. The opposing flaps may normally be in a state where parts (for example, tips or sides) overlap each other, or may be in a state where they are close to each other so that luggage in the storage section cannot be removed.

[0010] For example, various springs can be used to constantly urge the opposing flaps in the direction in which their tips overlap or approach each other. Also, various stoppers can be used to restrict the opposing flaps from turning in the direction opposite to the direction in which the luggage is pushed into the storage section. For example, a one-way spring hinge can be used as a hinge that has both of these functions. The number of flaps used is arbitrary as long as they can be arranged in pairs. For example, two flaps (one pair), four flaps (two pairs), six flaps (three pairs) or more may be used.

[0011] The storage section may also be provided with a mailbox section. Furthermore, a predetermined number of legs may be provided on the lower part of the storage section. The door may be provided with a locking mechanism. The type of locking mechanism may be, for example, various cylinder locks, padlocks, card locks using card keys, etc. If the door is directly connected to the inside of the building, for example, this locking mechanism is not necessary.

[0012] The invention described in claim 2 is the delivery box described in claim 1, characterized in that a single-leaf spring hinge is used to constantly urge the opposing flaps in a direction in which their tips overlap or approach each other, while restricting rotation in the opposite direction to the direction in which the luggage is pushed into the storage section, and a locking mechanism is provided on the door.

[0013] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 3 is a delivery box described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the storage section is a rectangular box with the door attached to the front, the push-in gate section is provided at the open upper end of the storage section, and the push-in gate section has three pairs of rectangular flaps arranged in parallel in the left-right direction, front and rear. Effect of the Invention

[0014] When using the delivery box of this invention, the delivery person first places the package against the multiple flaps arranged opposite the push gate of the package insertion section, and then pushes the package into the storage section against these biasing forces, completing the delivery of the package. This eliminates the need for the delivery person to lock the delivery box.

[0015] Even if a suspicious person then tries to steal the luggage in the storage section from the luggage insertion section, the opposing flaps are restricted from rotating in the direction opposite to the direction in which the luggage is pushed into the storage section, so that the removal of the luggage from the push-in gate section is prevented. In addition, since the baggage insertion section is not constantly locked, baggage can be inserted as many times as necessary as long as there is sufficient space in the storage section after the baggage has been inserted.

[0016] In particular, according to the present invention described in claim 2, the spring force of the spring hinge constantly biases the paired flaps in a direction in which their tips overlap or approach each other. On the other hand, the single-opening structure of the spring hinge restricts rotation in the opposite direction to the direction in which the luggage is pushed into the storage section. Because these two different functions are provided by a general-purpose spring hinge, the push-in gate section can be constructed at low cost.

[0017] According to the present invention described in claim 3, the push-in gate provided at the upper end of the rectangular box-shaped storage section has three pairs of rectangular flaps arranged in parallel in the left-right direction. This allows the use of relatively inexpensive oval flaps, and makes the push-in gate relatively easy to assemble. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a delivery box according to a first embodiment of the present invention with the lid and door open. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the delivery box according to the first embodiment of the present invention with the door open. [Diagram 3]1 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion of a flap plate constituting part of a delivery box according to a first embodiment of the present invention, the flap plate being rotated downward against the spring force of a spring hinge. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is an enlarged bottom view of a main portion showing the mounting structure of a flap plate that constitutes part of the delivery box according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] An embodiment of this invention will now be described in detail. EXAMPLES

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the delivery box 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a storage section 11 with a door 12 for storing delivered packages, and a package insertion section 13 provided at the open upper end of the storage section 11 for inserting the packages.

[0021] These components will now be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the storage section 11 is a vertically long rectangular box made of steel and having a front plate 20, a rear plate 21, a left side plate 22, a right side plate 23, and a bottom plate 24. A single-leaf steel door 12 for removing luggage is hinged to the open front of the storage section 11. A cylinder lock (locking section) 14 is provided at the tip of this door 12.

[0022] A lid 17, whose opening and closing force is supported by a gas spring 18, is hinged to the open top surface of the storage section 11. The gas spring 18 has its base end journaled on the inner surface of the upper end of the left side plate 22 via a mounting bracket 26, and its tip end of a rod 25 journaled on one end of the lid 17 via another mounting bracket 26. The baggage insertion section 13 provided at the upper end of the storage section 11 is provided with a baggage push-in gate section 16 employing a flap system.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the push-in gate section 16 is made up of three pairs of rectangular flaps 15 (six in total) that are vertically rotatable and arranged in three rows in the left-right direction with their tips overlapping each other. The three pairs of front and rear flaps 15 are constantly biased upward by the spring force of the coil springs 28 in a direction in which their leading ends overlap (in a direction in which the opposing flaps 15 are approximately horizontal), while being connected to the inner surface of the upper end of the corresponding front or rear plate 20 or 21 by a one-way spring hinge 33 that restricts excessive rotation in the direction opposite to the direction in which the luggage is pushed into the storage section 11 (above the position where the opposing flaps 15 are approximately horizontal). That is, the spring hinge 33 here connects a first flat plate 30 connected to the front or rear plate 20 or 21 and a second flat plate 31 connected to the base end of the flap plate 15 via a rotation shaft 29 through which the coil spring 28 is inserted, so that the second flat plate (flap plate 15) 31 can be rotated vertically by only 90° downward.

[0024] Next, a method of using the delivery box 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, when using the delivery box 10, the delivery person first opens the lid 17 with the assistance of the spring force of the gas spring 18, places the package against the three pairs of flap plates 15 arranged at the front and rear of the push-in gate section 16 of the package insertion section 13, and pushes the package into the internal space of the storage section 11 against these spring forces (see also Figures 3 and 4). The package pushed in this way is placed on the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 11, and then the delivery person presses the seal placed on the seal receiver 19 onto the delivery slip and closes the lid 17 against the spring force of the gas spring 18, completing the delivery of the package. This eliminates the need for the delivery person to lock the delivery box 10, as was previously necessary.

[0025] Thereafter, even if a suspicious person were to insert his / her hand into the storage section 11 through the baggage insertion section 13 and try to steal the luggage therein, the three pairs of flaps 15 arranged in the push-in gate section 16 with their tips overlapping each other are restricted from rotating in the opposite direction to the direction in which the luggage is pushed into the storage section 11 by the single-opening structure of the corresponding spring hinges 33, so that the removal of the luggage from the push-in gate section 16 is prevented. In addition, since the parcel insertion section 13 is always unlocked, after an item has been inserted, subsequent delivery personnel can insert additional parcels any number of times as long as there is sufficient space in the interior space of the storage section 11.

[0026] Furthermore, the paired flaps 15 are constantly biased in a direction in which their tips overlap with each other by the spring force of the spring hinge 33. On the other hand, rotation in the direction opposite to the direction in which the luggage is pushed into the storage section 11 is restricted by the single-opening structure of the spring hinge 33. As these two different functions are performed by a single general-purpose spring hinge 33, the push-in gate section 16 can be constructed at low cost. Furthermore, three pairs of rectangular flaps 15 are arranged in three rows in the left-right direction at the push-in gate 16 provided at the upper end of the rectangular box-shaped storage section 11. This allows the use of relatively inexpensive oval flaps 15, and makes the assembly of the push-in gate 16 relatively easy. [Industrial Applicability]

[0027] This invention is useful as a technology for delivery boxes that allow residents to receive parcels even when they are not at home. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 10. Delivery Box 11 Storage section 12 Doors 13 Luggage loading area 14 cylinder lock (locking part) 15 Flap board 16 Push-in gate section 28 Coil spring

Claims

1. A delivery box having a storage section with a door for storing delivered packages and a package insert section provided in the storage section for inserting the packages, The luggage insertion section is provided with a luggage push-in gate section having a plurality of rotatable flaps arranged in pairs, This delivery box is characterized in that the multiple paired flaps are constantly biased in a direction in which their tips overlap or approach each other, while rotation in the opposite direction to the direction in which the luggage is pushed into the storage section is restricted.

2. A single-leaf spring hinge is used to constantly bias the paired flaps in a direction in which their tips overlap or approach each other, while restricting their rotation in a direction opposite to the direction in which the luggage is pushed into the storage section; The delivery box according to claim 1, wherein the door is provided with a locking mechanism.

3. The storage unit is a rectangular box with the door attached to its front surface, The push-in gate portion is provided at an open upper end of the storage portion, The delivery box according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the push-in gate portion has three pairs of rectangular flaps arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

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