Patent Application
20230391546
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The disclosure relates to guided cart devices and more particularly pertains to a new guided cart device for automatically transporting a garbage can to a pickup location. The device includes a robotic cart with tracks and an engagement element in the robotic cart. The robotic cart is in wireless communication with a personal electronic device for programming routes and schedules into the cart. The robotic cart includes a dump box for receiving a package delivery and subsequently dumping the package delivery in a secure location. The device includes a garbage can which can be releasably engaged by the engagement element for transporting the garbage can with the robotic cart.
The prior art relates to guided cart devices including a motorized cart which follows a buried guide wire. The prior art discloses a variety of robotic carts which has a well integrated into the robotic carts for transporting a garbage receptacle. The prior art discloses a variety of motorized carts that includes a pair of drive wheels and an arm that engages a trash can for transporting the trash can. The prior art discloses an autonomous wagon that can carry trash bags along a pre-determined route.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a cart that has a pair of tracks on each side of the cart to drive the cart along a support surface. A dump box is hingedly integrated into the cart to receive a package delivery. An actuator is integrated into the cart and the actuator urges the dump box into a dumping position and a lowered position. An engagement element is integrated into the cart. A garbage can is provided and the engagement element releasably engages the garbage can. In this way the cart can transport the garbage can to a predetermined location.
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
An environmental unit 40 is provided and the environmental unit 40 is integrated into the dump box 18. The environmental unit 40 is actuatable into a cooling condition for cooling an interior of the dump box 18. In this way the environmental unit 40 can preserve freshness of perishable items in the dump box 18, such as a food delivery. The environmental unit 40 is actuatable into a heating condition for heating the interior of the dump box 18 to warm items in the dump box 18 that must be kept warm. The environmental unit 40 might include an electronic cooler, such as an air conditioning unit and the environmental unit 40 might include an electric heater. As is most clearly shown in
A top door 44 is hingedly coupled to the dump box 18 and the top door 44 is positioned on the top side 30 of the dump box 18 for opening and closing the top side 30. In this way the top door 44 facilitates a delivery person to place the package delivery 20 into the dump box 18. A front door 46 is hingedly coupled to the dump box 18 and the front door 46 is positioned on the forward side 34 of the dump box 18. The front door 46 swings into an open position when the dump box 18 is urged into the lifted position to facilitate the package delivery 20 to slide outwardly from the dump box 18. The front door 46 swings into a closed position when the dump box 18 is in the lowered position to inhibit access into the dump box 18. As is most clearly shown in
A front door lock 48 is provided and the front door lock 48 is integrated into the dump box 18. The front door lock 48 engages the front door 46 when the dump box 18 is in the lowered position for inhibiting the front door 46 from opening. Conversely, the front door lock 48 disengages the front door 46 when the dump box 18 is in the lifted position for facilitating the front door 46 to open. A top door lock 49 is integrated into the dump box 18 and the top door lock 49 engages and disengages the top door 44. An actuator 50 is integrated into the cart 12 and the actuator 50 is in communication with the dump box 18. The actuator 50 lifts the dump box 18 into a dumping position and the actuator 50 lowers the dump box 18 into a lowered position. The actuator 50 extends between the top side 30 of the cart 12 and a bottom wall 52 of the dump box 18. Furthermore, the forward side 34 of the dump box 18 is angled downwardly when the dump box 18 is lifted into the dumping position to dump the package delivery 20 outwardly through the front side. The actuator 50 may comprise an electromechanical linear actuator or other type of actuator 50 that can elongate and shorten.
A pair of driver rollers 52 is each rotatably integrated into a respective one of the first lateral wall 22 and the second lateral wall 24 of the cart 12. Each of the driver rollers 52 includes a motor 54 and the motor 54 associated with each of the driver rollers 52 rotates in a first direction or a second direction. Additionally, the motor 54 associated with each of the driver rollers 52 may comprise an electric motor. A plurality of passive rollers 56 is each rotatably integrated into a respective one of the first lateral wall 22 and the second lateral wall 24 of the cart 12. The plurality of passive rollers 56 is distributed between the front wall 26 and the rear wall 28. Furthermore, each of the tracks 14 extends around a respective one of the driver rollers 52 and respective ones of the passive rollers 56 such that each of the driver rollers 52 urges the tracks 14 to rotate for driving the cart 12.
A control circuit 58 is integrated into the cart 12 and the control circuit 58 is electrically coupled the motor 54 associated with each of the driver rollers 52. The control circuit 58 is electrically coupled to the actuator 50 for actuating the actuator 50 to urge the dump box 18 into the dumping position and the lowered position. Additionally, the control circuit 58 is electrically coupled to the front door lock 48 and the top door lock 49. The control circuit 58 de-actuates the front door lock 48 when the actuator 50 urges the dump box 18 into the dumping position. The control circuit 58 actuates the front door lock 48 when the actuator 50 urges the dump box 18 into the lowered position. The control circuit 58 is electrically coupled to the environmental unit 40 for actuating the environmental unit 40 into either the cooling condition or the heating condition.
An electromagnet 60 is integrated into the cart 12 and the electromagnet 60 is positioned on the rear wall 28 of the cart 12. The electromagnet 60 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 58 and the electromagnet 60 is turned on and off when the control circuit 58 receives a respective engage or disengage command. A transceiver 62 is integrated into the cart 12 and the transceiver 62 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 58. The transceiver 62 is in communication with a global positioning system 64 to communicate directional guidance to the control circuit 58 for guiding the cart 12 along a predetermined route. Additionally, the transceiver 62 is in wireless communication with a personal electronic device 66 for receiving route information from the personal electronic device 66 to facilitate a user to remotely program the cart 12 to perform various activities. The transceiver 62 may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like and the transceiver 62 may employ Bluetooth communication protocols.
The personal electronic device 66 may comprise a smart phone or other similar type of electronic device and personal electronic device 66 may store operational software, such as a smart phone app. In this way the user can program routes and schedule times for the cart 12 to travel back and forth along various routes. Thus, the user can program all operational parameters of the cart 12 with respect to where the cart 12 will travel and when the cart 12 will travel there. Additionally, the user can program a safe area for depositing the package delivery 20 when the delivery person deposits the package delivery 20 in the dump box 18. Furthermore, the transceiver 62 can be programmed to communicate with a garage door opener, for example, to facilitate the package delivery 20 to be securely stored in a garage until the user can retrieve the package delivery 20.
A plurality of proximity sensors 68 is each integrated into a respective one of four corners 70 of the cart 12 to sense an object. Each of the proximity sensors 68 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 58 to facilitate the cart 12 to drive around the object when the cart 12 is travelling along the pre-determined route. Each of the proximity sensors 68 may comprise an electronic proximity sensor of any conventional design that has an operational range of approximately 5.0 feet. A plurality of light emitters 72 is each of the light emitters 72 is integrated into a respective one of the four corners of the cart 12 to emit light outwardly from the cart 12. Each of the light emitters 72 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 58 and each of the light emitters 72 is turned on when the cart 12 is in motion to visually alert a bystander that the cart 12 is in motion. Each of the light emitters 72 may comprise a light emitting diode or the like that repeatedly flashes on and off and which emits a red colored light.
A speaker 74 is integrated into the cart 12 to emit audible sounds outwardly from the cart 12 thereby facilitating the speaker 74 to audibly alert the bystander that the cart 12 is in motion. The speaker 74 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 58. Additionally, the speaker 74 may emit spoken words that are received from the personal electronic device 66 such that the user can verbally communicate with the delivery person, for example.
A garbage can 76 is provided for containing garbage. The garbage can 76 has a pair of rollers 78 that is each rotatably integrated into the garbage can 76 to roll along a support surface 16. The garbage can 76 has a front wall 79 and the garbage can 76 may include a lid 80 that is hingedly disposed on the garbage can 76. A plate 82 is integrated into the garbage can 76 and the plate 82 is comprised of a ferromagnetic material. Moreover, the electromagnet 60 abuts the plate 82 when the cart 12 drives next to the garbage can 76 thereby facilitating the electromagnet 60 to magnetically engage the plate 82 when the electromagnet 60 is turned on. In this way the cart 12 can transport the garbage can 76 to a predetermined location. As is most clearly shown in
As is most clearly shown in
A power supply 84 is integrated into the cart 12 and the power supply 84 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 58. The power supply 84 comprises a rechargeable battery 86 that is positioned within the cart 12 and the rechargeable battery 86 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 58. A charge plug 88 is integrated into the front wall 26 of the cart 12 and the charge plug 88 is electrically coupled to the rechargeable battery 86. The charge plug 88 may comprise a male plug that extends away from the front wall 26 of the cart 12.
A charging station 90 is provided and the charging station 90 is positionable in a predetermined location. The cart 12 docks with the charging station 90 for charging the power supply 84. The charging station 90 comprises a charge port 92 that is integrated into the charging station 90. The charge plug 88 on the front wall 26 of the cart 12 is matable to the charge port 92 when the cart 12 docks with the charging station 90. The charge port 92 may comprise a female socket that can insertably receive the charge plug 88.
The charging station 90 includes a power cord 94 that extends away from the charging station 90. The power cord 94 is electrically coupled to the charge port 92. Additionally, the power cord 94 can electrically coupled to a power source 96 for charging the rechargeable battery 86 when the cart 12 is docked with the charging station 90. The power source 96 may be a female electrical outlet or other type of continuous supply of electrical power. The charging station 90 includes a solar panel 98 that is movably integrated into the charging station 90 such that the solar panel 98 is exposed to sunlight. The solar panel 98 is electrically coupled to the charge port 92 for charging the rechargeable battery 86 when the cart 12 is docked with the charging station 90.
In use, the user programs various operational parameters of the cart 12 with the personal electronic device 66, including routes and schedules. In this way the garbage can 76 may be automatically delivered to a curb side, for example, to facilitate garbage collection. Moreover, the transceiver 62 facilitates the cart 12 to be guided with global positioning system 64 coordinates to precisely travel to and from various locations. Additionally, the cart 12 can be programmed to travel to a pre-selected delivery location to facilitate the delivery person to deposit the package delivery 20 into the dump box 18. The cart 12 can subsequently be programmed to transport the package delivery 20 to a secure location to deposit the package delivery 20. Additionally, the environmental unit can be programmed to either cool or heat the interior of the dump box 18 in order to preserve freshness of a perishable delivery that is positioned in the dump box 18.
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.
