Delivery item storage box

Abstract

To provide a delivery matter housing to be inexpensively constituted with a smaller number of components even when having a structure where a throw-in port is covered by multiple small flaps.SOLUTION: Flaps 5 arranged inside a throw-in port 21 include a plurality of small flaps 51 which are horizontally connected. Each one of the small flaps 51 is arranged by screwing onto an upper side part behind the throw-in port 21 so as to be suspended and is rotatable in a direction of a housing space. The small flaps 51 at the center are arranged at the rearmost positions. The small flaps 51 adjacently arranged to the right and to the left are successively arranged on a front side by partial overlapping. The small flaps 51 at the right and left ends are arranged at the foremost positions. A rubber plate 7 for generating energization force in a direction to close the throw-in port 21 when the flaps are rotated in the direction of the housing space is arranged behind in the small flaps 51 at the center.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a delivery item storage box for storing delivery items.

Background Art

[0002] Some delivery item storage boxes for storing delivery items such as letter boxes have an anti-theft function at the inlet so that the stored delivery items cannot be taken out from the inlet. For example, in Patent Document 1, a plurality of small flaps that rotate only in the inner direction of the storage box are arranged over the entire inlet to close the inlet. With this configuration, even if one tries to put a hand in from the front to take out the stored item, the small flaps do not rotate in the forward direction where the item is taken out, so the delivery item gets caught on the small flaps and the taking-out is blocked.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The anti-theft structure with a plurality of small flaps in Patent Document 1 is effective in preventing theft of stored delivery items. However, since an urging means for closing the inlet needs to be attached to each small flap, the number of component parts is large and the cost is high.

[0005] Therefore, in view of such problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a delivery item storage box that can be configured with a small number of parts and at a low cost even with a structure in which the inlet is covered by a large number of small flaps.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a delivery box having a main body with a storage space for deliveries and a horizontally elongated opening for inserting deliveries into the storage space, wherein the inside of the opening is covered by a flap, the flap being composed of a plurality of smaller flaps connected horizontally, each smaller flap being hinged to the upper edge of the back of the opening and positioned to hang down, and configured to be rotatable in the direction of the storage space, the central smaller flap being positioned at the rearmost position, while the adjacent smaller flaps on the left and right are sequentially positioned towards the front with some overlapping, and the smaller flaps at the left and right ends being positioned at the frontmost position, and the central smaller flap is characterized in that a biasing member is provided integrally with or on the back of the central smaller flap, which generates a biasing force in the direction of closing the opening when it is rotated in the direction of the storage space. In this configuration, when any small flap is pressed and rotated, the central small flap rotates in conjunction via the overlapping portion of the small flaps, generating a biasing force in the direction of closing the input opening. Therefore, even without biasing mechanisms for each small flap, each small flap will always try to maintain a closed state. Thus, even if the input opening is covered and closed by a large number of small flaps, it can be constructed with a small number of parts and at low cost.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the biasing member is a plate-shaped elastic body positioned on the back of the central small flap, the upper end of the elastic body is fixed to the upper edge of the back of the input opening and positioned to hang down, and when the central small flap rotates toward the storage space, it comes into contact with the elastic body and the elastic body deforms elastically, generating a biasing force on the central small flap in the direction of closing the input opening. This configuration eliminates the need to generate a biasing force in the central flap itself, making it possible to use the same configuration for the central flap and the other flaps. Therefore, the number of components can be reduced.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the small flap has hinge members at its upper and lower ends, and can be hinged to the back of the input opening when inverted, and the left and right portions that overlap with adjacent small flaps are formed with a reduced thickness, with one overlapping portion having a stepped portion on the front side and being formed with a thin wall, and the other overlapping portion having a stepped portion on the rear side and being formed with a thin wall. With this configuration, even if the overlapping of the small flaps is in opposite directions on the left and right sides of the input opening, the same small flap can be used to accommodate them, thus reducing the number of types of components. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, when any small flap is pressed and rotated, the central small flap rotates in conjunction via the overlapping portion of the small flaps, generating a biasing force in the direction of closing the input opening. Therefore, even without providing a biasing mechanism for each small flap, each small flap always tries to maintain a closed state. Thus, even if the input opening is covered and closed by a number of small flaps, it can be constructed with a small number of parts and at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an example of a delivery box according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view of Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the front panel, seen from the rear. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA. [Figure 5] This is an enlarged view of section B. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the small flap. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view of the CC line. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 show an example of a delivery storage box according to the present invention, where Figure 1 is a perspective view and Figure 2 is a front view. The delivery storage box 1 has a front panel 2 with an opening 21 for inserting delivery items at the front, and a main body 3 with a storage space for delivery items at the back. The main body 3 is formed with an open front to which the front panel 2 is attached, and the other sides are closed to store delivery items inserted through the opening 21 inside. Front panel 2 also serves as a door that opens widely at the front, allowing items stored in the main body 3 to be removed from the front (details not provided). Note that 22 is a dial for locking / unlocking front panel 2, and 23 is a canopy that protects the loading opening 21 from rainwater, etc.

[0012] The input opening 21 is a horizontally elongated rectangle, and a flap 5 is attached to the opening 21a at the back end of the input opening 21, covering the entrance to the storage space. The flap 5 is formed by connecting a plurality of small flaps 51 made of synthetic resin in the left-right direction.

[0013] The flap 5, which consists of multiple small flaps 51, is configured as follows: Figure 3 is a perspective view of the front panel 2 seen from the rear, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of line AA shown in Figure 2, Figure 5 is an enlarged view of section B shown in Figure 4, and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the small flap 51 alone. The explanation will be given with reference to these figures. A shaft 6, which constitutes a hinge portion for rotatably attaching the flap 5, is arranged in the left-right direction on the upper edge of the opening 21a. The small flap 51 has a locking portion 11 at its upper end, which acts as a hinge member, and is attached to the shaft 6 by hinge 11. As a result, it is rotatably attached to the upper edge of the opening 21a and positioned to hang down.

[0014] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the small flaps 51 located on either side of the central flap 51 are arranged sequentially in front of it, with overlapping sections between them. As a result, the central flap 51 is positioned furthest inward. Specifically, the small flap 51 disposed on the left side (L side shown in FIG. 4) when viewed from the front from the center M of the inlet 21 has an overlapping portion on the right side that overlaps the back surface and an overlapping portion on the left side that overlaps the front surface. Thus, they are sequentially stacked and arranged on the front side from the center M.

[0015] <​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​In this way, by inverting the top and bottom, it is possible to accommodate shapes where the overlapping direction is reversed, and all small flaps 51 can be made of the same shape. Furthermore, even if they are arranged to overlap sequentially from the center M of the input opening 21 towards the front, all small flaps 51 can be arranged in a single horizontal line, and they do not protrude sequentially forward when overlapped.

[0019] Furthermore, a plate-shaped elastic rubber sheet 7 (biasing member) is positioned on the back of the two central small flaps. The rubber sheet 7 is formed to be slightly larger than the small flaps 51, and its upper end is fixed above the back of the opening 21a, allowing it to hang down. Thus, as shown in Figure 4, it is positioned on the back adjacent to both of the two central small flaps 51s.

[0020] In the delivery storage box 1 configured in this way, the flap 5 operates as follows when a delivery item is placed inside. When a delivery item is inserted into the input slot 21, the item comes into contact with the small flap 51 and is pushed further backward. As a result, the rotating small flap 51 also deforms and pushes up the rubber plate 7, but this action is performed without force, allowing the delivery item to be smoothly inserted into the main body 3. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along line CC, where the imaginary line shows the rotating central small flap 51s. As shown in Figure 7, the rubber plate 7 deforms as it is pushed up by the central small flap 51s. In this way, the rotation of the central small flap 51 causes the rubber plate 7 to elastically deform, and after the delivery is inserted, the restoring force of the rubber plate 7 causes the small flap 51, which had risen to the rear, to return to its hanging position and return to the closed state.

[0021] On the other hand, if you reach your hand into the input slot 21 to take out a stored delivery, the small flaps 51 around the area where you inserted your hand will rotate, causing a portion of the input slot 21 to open. However, the entire small flap 51 will not open, and the opening will not be wide enough to take out the stored delivery. Therefore, it is difficult to take out the stored delivery. For example, if you press either the left or right end of the flap 5, the overlapping part of the small flap 51 will cause one of the two central small flaps 51s to open, but it will not open any further.

[0022] Thus, when any of the small flaps 51 are pushed and rotated, the central small flap 51s rotate in conjunction via the overlapping portion of the small flaps 51, generating a biasing force in the direction of closing the input opening 21. Therefore, even without biasing means provided for each small flap 51, each small flap 51 will always try to maintain a closed state. Thus, even though the input opening 21 is covered and closed by a large number of small flaps 51, it can be constructed with a small number of parts and at low cost. Furthermore, since a rubber plate 7 is separately placed on the back of the central small flap 51s, there is no need to generate a biasing force on the central small flap 51s itself, making it possible to have the same configuration as the central small flap 51s and the other small flaps 51. Thus, the number of components can be reduced. Furthermore, even if the overlapping of the small flaps 51 is in opposite directions on the left and right sides from the center of the input opening 21, the same small flap 51 can be used to accommodate this, further reducing the number of component types.

[0023] In the above embodiment, a rubber plate 7 is used to provide a restorative force to the central small flap 51s to return it to its upright position. However, any elastic member can be used, and instead of the rubber plate 7, a U-shaped synthetic resin body or a metal torsion spring may be used. Alternatively, the central small flap 51s and the rubber plate 7 may be integrated to give the central small flap 51s elasticity, or the two central small flaps 51s may be integrated into a single flap. However, in either case, the small flaps 51 in the center and the others will have different configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 1. Delivery box, 2. Front panel, 3. Main body, 5. Flap, 6. Shaft rod, 7. Rubber plate (plate-shaped elastic body, biasing member), 11. Locking part (hinged member), 11a. Gripping piece, 21. Input opening, 21a. Opening, 51, 51a, 51b. Small flaps, 51s. Central small flap, D. Stepped section, W. Thin-walled section.

Claims

1. A delivery box comprising a main body having a storage space for deliveries, and a horizontally elongated opening for inserting deliveries into the storage space, wherein the inside of the opening is covered by a flap, The aforementioned flap is composed of a plurality of smaller flaps connected laterally, and each of the smaller flaps is hinged to the upper edge of the back of the opening and positioned to hang down, and is configured to be rotatable in the direction of the storage space. Furthermore, the central small flap is positioned at the rearmost position, while the adjacent small flaps on the left and right are sequentially positioned towards the front, overlapping in part, with the small flaps at the left and right ends positioned in the front row. A delivery box characterized in that the central flap has a biasing member, either integrally with or positioned on the back, which generates a biasing force in the direction of closing the input opening when it rotates toward the storage space.

2. The biasing member is a plate-shaped elastic body positioned on the back of the central small flap, and the elastic body is positioned so that its upper end is fixed to the upper edge of the back of the input opening and hangs down. The delivery box according to claim 1, characterized in that when the central small flap rotates toward the storage space, it comes into contact with the elastic body, causing the elastic body to deform elastically, and a biasing force is generated on the central small flap in the direction of closing the input opening.

3. The small flap has hinge members at its upper and lower ends, and can be inverted and hinged to the back of the input opening, The left and right portions that overlap with the adjacent small flaps are formed with reduced thickness. The delivery box according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one overlapping portion is formed with a stepped portion on the front side and is thin-walled, and the other overlapping portion is formed with a stepped portion on the rear side and is thin-walled.

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