The present invention relates to delivery receptacles. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a delivery shelf pivotally affixed to a mounting base, such that the shelf can be lowered when needed to store deliveries or other parcels thereon.
Many individuals utilize online shopping and delivery systems, and the prevalence of online shopping is continuously growing. As more online shopping transactions take place, more and more products must be delivered to the consumer's home. Such frequent deliveries require an individual to have sufficient space for the packages to be dropped off, however, many individuals lack space near their front door, mailbox, or the like. As a result, delivered packages are often left haphazardly in the vicinity, on the ground, or far from the door. Leaving packages on the ground surface may soil the package, and alternate drop off locations are often inconvenient requiring the consumer to walk to the mailbox, mail room, or other more distant location than a front step or porch. Alternatively, even with sufficient space for delivering a package, the package may be at risk of theft. Often, packages are delivered to a doorstep with no notification to the user of the delivery, potentially resulting in large delays between delivery and retrieval of the delivery. Additionally, many individuals may be at work or otherwise not at home at the time of delivery, leaving the package vulnerable to theft for extended periods. In order to address these concerns, the present invention provides users with a delivery shelf system installable in the vicinity of the door, wherein the delivery shelf may provide delivery notifications and security until the package is retrieved.
In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing delivery receptacles. In this regard, the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of delivery storage platforms now present in the known art, the present invention provides a deployable delivery shelf system wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when receiving a parcel or other delivery.
The present system comprises a platform hingedly affixed to a mounting base, wherein a rear edge of the platform is hingedly affixed along a lower edge of the mounting base such that the platform is selectively movable between a deployed position and a storage position. The platform is substantially perpendicular to the mounting base when in the deployed position and an upper surface of the platform rests flush against a front surface of the mounting base when the platform is in the storage position. An extension panel is telescopically disposed within a front edge of the platform. The extension panel is selectively movable between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein the extension panel is disposed entirely within an interior of the platform when in the retracted position. In some embodiments, a pair of lateral panels are telescopically disposed within opposing lateral edges of the platform, wherein the pair of lateral panels are selectively movable between an extended position and a retracted position. In another embodiment, the pair of lateral panels are disposed entirely within the platform when in the retracted position. In other embodiments, a proximal end of each lateral panel of the pair of lateral panels is pivotally affixed to the platform when in the extended position, such that each lateral panel is selectively movable to a raised position perpendicular to the upper surface of the platform. In yet another embodiment, the interior edge of the extension panel is pivotally affixed to the platform when in the extended position perpendicular to the upper surface of the platform. In some embodiments, the platform, the pair of lateral panels, and the extension panel define a container having an open upper end when each of the pair of lateral panels and the extension panel are disposed in the raised position. In another embodiment, at least one fastener is disposed on each of the pair of lateral panels and the extension panel, wherein the at least one fastener selectively affixes the pair of lateral panels to the extension panel to retain the pair of lateral panels and the extension panel in the raised position. In other embodiments, the at least one fastener is configured to engage the extension panel and the pair of lateral panels in a locked configuration, such that the extension panel and pair of lateral panels are retained in the raised position until a locking mechanism operably connected to the at least one fastener is disengaged. In yet another embodiment, a proximity sensor is disposed within the mounting base, wherein the proximity sensor is configured to detect a remote housing within a threshold proximity of the mounting base whereupon the locking mechanism is configured to disengage when the remote housing is detected within the threshold proximity. In some embodiments, a camera is disposed on a control panel affixed to a lateral edge of the mounting base, wherein the camera is operably connected to a processor having facial recognition software thereon, wherein the facial recognition software is configured to identify one or more authorized users, whereupon detection of an authorized user, the locking mechanism is configured to disengage. In another embodiment, a primary display is disposed on a lower surface of the platform, wherein the primary display is operably connected to a remote device and configured to display media received from the remote device. In other embodiments, a secondary display is disposed within the front surface of the mounting base, wherein the secondary display is disabled when the platform is in the storage position and is configured to mirror the primary display when the platform is in the deployed position. In yet another embodiment, a control panel is affixed to a side of the mounting base, wherein the control panel comprises a notification control thereon, whereupon actuation of the notification control, an alert is transmitted by a wireless transceiver disposed within the control panel to a remote device. In some embodiments, a camera is disposed on the control panel, wherein the camera is configured to transmit a video image to the remote device. In another embodiment, the remote device further comprises a delivery application thereon configured to track a location of a parcel, whereupon detection of the parcel within a threshold proximity to the delivery shelf, the platform is configured to move to the deployed position via actuation of a platform motor disposed within the mounting base and operably connected to the platform. In other embodiments, a panel motor is disposed within the platform and is operably connected to the extension panel, wherein the panel motor is configured to selectively move the extension panel from the retracted position to the extended position when actuated in a first direction, and from the extended position to the retracted position when actuated in a second direction. In yet another embodiment, a pair of lateral panel motors are disposed within the platform, wherein each lateral panel motor is operably connected to one lateral panel of the pair of lateral panels, wherein each lateral panel motor is configured to selectively move the associated lateral panel from the retracted position to the extended position when actuated in a first direction, and from the extended position to the retracted position when actuated in a second direction. In some embodiments, at least one hook is disposed on the lower edge of the mounting base. In another embodiment, a front panel pivotally affixed along an upper edge of the mounting base, wherein the front panel is configured to pivot to a position perpendicular to a front surface of the mounting base to enclose the container formed by the pair of lateral panels and the extension panel when in the raised position.
Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.
Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the delivery shelf. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
According to some embodiments, the operations, techniques, and/or components described herein can be implemented as (i) a special-purpose computing device having specialized hardware and a logic hardwired into the computing device to persistently perform the disclosed operations and/or techniques or (ii) a logic that is implementable on an electronic device having a general purpose hardware processor to execute the logic and a computer-readable medium, e.g. a memory, wherein implementation of the logic by the processor on the electronic device provides the electronic device with the function of a special-purpose computing device.
In the interests of economy, the present disclosure refers to “a computer-readable medium,” “a processor,” and so on. However, this should not be read as limiting in any way as the present disclosure contemplates embodiments of the present invention utilizing “one or more computer-readable media,” “one or more processors,” and so on. Unless specifically limited to a single unit, “a” is intended to be equivalent to “one or more” throughout the present disclosure.
As referred to herein, the term “electronic device” refers to any computing device that includes at least a display screen and an input mechanism. The computing devices can be hard-wired to perform the operations, techniques, and/or components described herein, or can include digital electronic devices such as one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) that are persistently programmed to perform the operations, techniques and/or components described herein, or can include one or more general purpose hardware processors programmed to perform such features of the present disclosure pursuant to program instructions in firmware, memory, other storage, or a combination. Such computing devices can also combine custom hard-wired logic, ASICs, or FPGAs with custom programming to accomplish the technique and other features of the present disclosure. The computing devices can be desktop computer systems, laptops, cell phones, tablets, networking devices, or any other device that incorporates hard-wired and/or program logic to implement the techniques and other features of the present disclosure.
Referring now to
In the shown embodiments, a control panel 31 is affixed to a lateral edge 32 of the mounting base 13, wherein the control panel 31 is contemplated to house a variety of electronic components therein. In alternate embodiments, the control panel 31 may be affixed along an upper edge of the mounting base 13, such that the platform 12 does not occlude the electronic components when in the deployed position. In the shown embodiment, the control panel 31 includes a camera 30 therein, wherein the camera 30 is configured to receive and transmit video footage to a remote device (as shown in
Referring now to
As shown in
Referring now to
In the illustrated embodiment, the extension panel 18 is operably connected to a panel motor 42, the pair of lateral panels 21 are operably connected to a pair of lateral panel motors 43, and the platform is operably connected to a platform motor 41. Each of the platform motor 41, panel motor 42, and pair of lateral panel motors 43 are configured to selectively actuate the associated element, such that the platform, extension panel 18, and the pair of lateral panels 21 can be automatically deployed thereby. In this manner, the user need not manually lower the platform and extend the desired panels. In some such embodiments, the motors 41, 42, 43, can be independently actuated to selectively deploy the desired elements as needed. Similarly, as previously described, the panel motors 42, 43 can selectively raise the associated panels to the raised position as shown in
In some embodiments, a remote housing 29 is in wireless communication with the processor, wherein the remote housing 29 is contemplated to be a fob or other identifying device. In such embodiments, upon detection of the remote housing 29 within a defined threshold distance of the delivery shelf, a variety of effects can be initiated. For example, in some embodiments, upon the remote housing 29 crossing the threshold, the various panels can be selectively extended, retracted, raised, lowered, locked, unlocked, or any number of preprogrammed behaviors within the processor 33. Alternatively, the processor 33 can be in communication with a delivery application 40 installed on the remote device 37, whereupon the delivery application 40 is configured to determine a location of the delivery relative to the delivery shelf, such that upon detection of the delivery within the defined threshold distance of the delivery shelf. In this manner, the delivery shelf can be paired to existing delivery tracking applications to provide additional automated functionality.
In one use, the delivery shelf is installed adjacent to the front door of a home. The user can deploy the platform to provide a surface on which deliveries can be placed to keep the deliveries off of the ground surface and to keep the front porch area clear for passage. The extension panel 18 and the pair of lateral panels 21 can be extended to expand the surface area of the platform for storage of larger packages or multiple smaller packages. In some embodiments, the panels can further be raised to define a container into which a package may be placed and secured. The user can manually deploy each of these panels, or, alternatively, the panels may be extended automatically via a series of motors as previously described upon an initiating trigger event. These trigger events may include detection of the delivery within a predefined threshold via an associated delivery application 40, a control being actuated on a remote device 37, detection of a remote housing within the predefined threshold, the camera 30 detecting a deliveryman within proximity of the delivery shelf, or the like. When the package is delivered, the user can communicate with the deliveryman via the primary or secondary displays 35, 36 in communication with the remote device 37.
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in various embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly, and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/309,242 filed on Feb. 11, 2022. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
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