Patent Application
20230091818
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The disclosure relates to delivery receptacles and more particularly pertains to a new delivery receptacle for protecting food deliveries. The present invention discloses an electronically lockable delivery receptacle designed to secure and to insulate food containers that are delivered without contact between a user and a delivery agent.
The prior art relates to delivery receptacles. Prior art to delivery receptacles may comprise electronically lockable residential parcel delivery boxes. What is lacking in the prior art is an electronically lockable delivery receptacle designed to secure food containers that are delivered without contact between a user and a delivery agent.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a box in which a set of openings is positioned. A respective opening is configured for insertion of a food container into the box. Each of a set of panels is hingedly engaged to the box and is positioned to selectively close a respective opening. Insulation is engaged to an inner surface of the box and to an inner face of each panel. The insulation is configured to reduce heat transfer between food in the food container and air outside of the box. Each of a set of locks is engaged to the box and is selectively engageable to a respective panel. The locks are electronically actuated and are configured to be actuated to deter unauthorized access to the food container. The locks are configured to be deactivated to permit authorized access to the food container, thus allowing access to the box by a delivery agent and a user.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A respective opening 14 is configured for insertion of a food container 20 into the box 12. The set of openings 14 may comprise one opening 14, which is positioned in a front 22 of the box 12. The set of openings 14 also may comprise one opening 14, which is positioned in a top 24 of the box 12. As shown in
Each of a set of panels 26 is hingedly engaged to the box 12 and is positioned to selectively close a respective opening 14. As shown in
Each of a plurality of hinges 32 is engaged to and extends between the box 12 and a respective panel 26. The hinge 32 is recessed into an inner surface 34 of the box 12 and an inner face 56 of the respective panel 26 so that the hinge 32 is hidden from view with the respective panel 26 hinged to a closed position, as shown in
Insulation 36 is engaged to the inner surface 34 of the box 12 and to the inner face 56 of each panel 26. The insulation 36 is configured to reduce heat transfer between food in the food container 20 and air outside of the box 12. The insulation 36 helps to keep warm food warm and cold food cold, provided both warm food and cold food are not concurrently positioned in the box 12. The present invention anticipates two compartments (not shown) within the box 12, one of which could be used for cold food and the other of which could be used for warm food.
Each of a set of locks 38 is engaged to the box 12 and is selectively engageable to a respective panel 26. The locks 38 are electronically actuated and are configured to be actuated to deter unauthorized access to the food container 20. The locks 38 are configured to be deactivated to permit authorized access to the food container 20. The box 12 is anticipated to be useful in protecting food from theft, inclement weather, and animal predation. The box 12 also may be used for small parcel delivery.
Each lock 38 comprises a latch rod 40 and an actuator 42. The actuator 42 is operationally engaged to the latch rod 40 and is configured to selectively motivate the latch rod 40 through a latch ring 44, which is engaged to the respective panel 26. The respective panel 26 thus is prevented from hinging relative to the box 12. Other locking means will be apparent to those skilled in the art of locks and are anticipated by the present invention.
A controller 46 is engaged to the box 12 and is communicatively coupled to set of locks 38. The controller 46 is configured to be manipulated by a user to selectively deactivate one or more of the locks 38, enabling the user to access the food container 20. The controller 46 may comprise a keypad 48, as shown in
The controller 46 also comprises an indicator 58, which is configured to indicate one or both of a successful manipulation and unsuccessful manipulation of the controller 46. As shown in
In use, the food delivery receptacle assembly 10 is positioned in a location where it can be accessed by a delivery agent, such as proximate to a door of a residence, as shown in
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, 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 an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure 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 disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
