Locker Apparatus with Sensor-Based Locking to Prevent Mistaken Deposit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional normally closed-type locker apparatuses face security issues where a later user may mistakenly deposit luggage in a box from which a previous user has just removed luggage, leading to incorrect locking and potential security breaches.
Innovation Solution
A locker apparatus with a control device that unlocks the door only when luggage is detected in the box, using a luggage sensor to prevent the door from locking if a later user mistakenly deposits luggage, and includes a luggage lamp to indicate the presence of luggage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the locking device is electrically activated to lock and unlock without physical keys, then ease of operation is improved, but security reliability deteriorates due to mistaken deposit in empty boxes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary verification by checking the luggage sensor status before allowing the locking operation to occur. When a user closes the door after depositing luggage, the control device first checks whether the luggage sensor detects luggage presence. Only if luggage is detected does the system proceed to lock the door, preventing the security issue where empty boxes are incorrectly locked.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the luggage sensor to provide feedback about the actual state of the box (empty or occupied) to the control device. This feedback mechanism ensures that the locking decision is based on accurate real-time information about luggage presence, preventing mistaken locking of empty boxes while maintaining the electrical activation convenience.
2Reliability
If the door is locked when no luggage is deposited, then crime prevention is improved, but hygiene management deteriorates due to rubbish being thrown into boxes
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the locking state based on real-time luggage sensor feedback rather than maintaining a fixed locking policy. When luggage is detected, the door is locked for security; when no luggage is detected, the door remains unlocked to allow easy cleaning and prevent rubbish accumulation, thus adapting to different operational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the locking parameter (locked/unlocked state) based on the luggage presence parameter detected by the sensor. This parameter-based control allows the system to optimize both security and hygiene by locking only when necessary (when luggage is present) and remaining unlocked when cleaning is needed.
Data Source
AI summary
In a locker apparatus, a control device locks a locking device in order to bring a door into a closed state except when luggage is deposited in a box and when the luggage is taken out from the box. An operation unit includes a take-out button that is operated in order to take out the luggage from the box in which the luggage has been deposited. When the take-out button is operated, the control device unlocks the locking device in order to open the door of the box in which the luggage has been deposited, and when the door is closed thereafter and it is determined that there is the luggage in the box based on a detection result of a luggage sensor, the control device maintains unlocking of the locking device.