Patent Application
20240197096
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to secure package delivery receptacles and more particularly pertains to a new secure package delivery receptacle for securely receiving delivered packages and storing outgoing packages.
The prior art relates to secure package delivery receptacles which contain delivered and outgoing packages in one or more locked compartments.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a container including a delivery compartment therein and an outgoing compartment therein. A divider wall is positioned within the container and divides the delivery compartment from the outgoing compartment. The container has a top wall, a bottom wall, and a perimeter wall extending between and being attached to the top wall and the bottom wall. The perimeter wall includes a front wall, a back wall, a first lateral wall, and a second lateral wall. The container has an access opening extending therethrough and into the delivery compartment. An access door is coupled to the container and is movable between an open position exposing the access opening and a closed position closing the access opening. An access lock engages the access door and the container and is configured to releasably lock the access door in the closed position. The container also has an outgoing opening extending therethrough and into the outgoing compartment. An outgoing door is coupled to the container and is movable between an open position exposing the outgoing opening and a closed position closing the outgoing opening. An outgoing lock engages the outgoing door and the container. The outgoing lock is configured to releasably lock the outgoing door in the closed position. A camera configured for selectively recording video is coupled to and faces forwardly from the container. A motion sensor is electrically coupled to the camera and detects motion forward of the container. A control circuit is electrically coupled to the camera and the motion sensor and is programmed to activate the camera to record video when the motion sensor detects motion.
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
The front wall 26 comprises a top portion 38, a middle portion 40, and a bottom portion 42. In this embodiment, the middle portion 40 extends upwardly and rearwardly from the bottom portion 42 such that the top portion 38 is positioned closer to the back wall 28 than the bottom portion 42. The top portion 38 and the bottom portion 42 are also vertically oriented in this embodiment.
An access opening 44 extends through the container 12 into the delivery compartment 14. An access door 46 is coupled to the container 12 and is movable between an open position 48 exposing the access opening 44 and a closed position 50 closing the access opening 44. The access opening 44 extends through the first lateral wall 30, and the access door 46 is pivotably coupled to the container 12. An access lock 52 engages the access door 46 and the container 12 and is configured to releasably lock the access door 46 in the closed position 50.
In one embodiment, the access lock 52 has a housing 54 attached to the access door 46 with a latch 56 slidably coupled to the housing 54 which releasably engages the container 12. A latching handle 58 is operatively coupled to the latch 56. In this embodiment, the access lock 52 also includes a pin tumbler locking mechanism 60 and an electromechanical locking mechanism 62, each of which act independently of the other to lock or unlock the access door 46. The electromechanical locking mechanism 62 has a keypad input 64 for entering a passcode to lock or unlock the access door 46, a control circuit 66, and a power source 68 in the form of a battery 70. Other embodiments may use one or more alternative locking mechanisms including a combination lock, magnetic keyed lock, or the like. The electromechanical locking mechanism 62 may use servomotors, solenoid actuators, or the like to lock and move the latch 56. Alternative input means may be provided for the electromechanical locking mechanism 62 such as a touchscreen, biometric reader, magnetic strip reader, or the like.
An outgoing opening 72 extends through the container 12 into the outgoing compartment 16. An outgoing door 74 is coupled to the container 12 and is movable between an open position 76 exposing the outgoing opening 72 and a closed position 78 closing the outgoing opening 72. The support surface 36 is configured to be positioned such that an outgoing package 80 placed on the support surface 36 is reachable through the outgoing opening 72 when the outgoing door 74 is open. The outgoing opening 72 extends through the middle portion 40 of the front wall 26 of the container 12, and the outgoing door 74 typically has an outgoing handle 82 positioned adjacent a free edge 84 of the outgoing door 74. An outgoing lock 86 engages the outgoing door 74 and the container 12 and is configured to releasably lock the outgoing door 74 in the closed position 78.
The outgoing lock 86 is attached to the outgoing door 74 and comprises a latch 88 which is movable to releasably engage the container 12. In this embodiment, the outgoing lock 86 also includes an electromechanical locking mechanism 90 with a keypad input 92 for entering a passcode, a control circuit 94, and a power supply 96 in the form of a battery 98. The electromechanical locking mechanism 90 may use a servomotor, a solenoid actuator, or the like to lock and move the latch 88. Alternative input means may be provided for the electromechanical locking mechanism 90 such as a touchscreen, biometric reader, magnetic strip reader, or the like. Alternative locking mechanisms accessible by delivery personnel may be used for the outgoing lock 86 including combination locks or the like.
A delivery opening 100 extends through the container 12 and into the delivery compartment 14. A delivery door 102 is mounted to the container 12 for selectively opening and closing the delivery opening 100. The delivery opening 100 is positioned in the front wall 26 adjacent to the top wall 20, and the delivery door 102 is pivotable downwardly relative to the top wall 20 to open the delivery opening 100. A delivery handle 104 is attached to the delivery door 102 adjacent an upper edge 106 of the delivery door 102. When a delivered package 108 is placed in the delivery compartment 14 through the delivery opening 100 in this embodiment, the delivered package 108 will fall downwardly from the delivery opening 100, making retrieval of the delivered package 108 through the delivery opening 100 difficult. The downward pivot of the delivery door 102 also creates an obstruction to a person standing forwardly of the container 12 and attempting to reach the delivered package 108 through the delivery opening 100.
A camera 110 configured selectively recording video is coupled to and facing forwardly from the container 12 extends upwardly from the top wall 20 and is positioned adjacent to the back wall 28. A motion sensor 112 is electrically coupled to the camera 110 and is configured to detect motion forward of the container 12. A control circuit 114 is electrically coupled to the camera 110 and the motion sensor 112 and is programmed to activate the camera 110 to record video when the motion sensor 112 detects motion. The control circuit is typically electrically coupled to and powered by a control circuit battery 118. A transmitter 116 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 114 for wirelessly communicating with a communication network. The control circuit 114 is programmed to selectively activate the transmitter 116 to send a video recorded by the camera 110 to the communication network. The transmitter 116 may be configured to communicate with a cellular network, through the Internet, or the like such that a user may view the video on a computer, mobile phone, or like device. The transmitter 116 may also be configured for sending a notification to the computer, mobile phone, or like device to alert the user to activity occurring near the receptacle device 10 and to transmit a live feed of the video as it is recorded.
The above may alternatively rely on a single power source, which may be a battery, an alternating current electrical generator, or the like. The above may also use a single control circuit. Multiple power sources and control circuits may be used in myriad combinations with the above as proximity, maintenance convenience, and other routine concerns permit.
The receptacle device 10 may be secured to a ground surface, a wall, a door, or the like by using conventional fastening means including one or more bolts, screws, nails weldments, adhesives, or the like. In one embodiment, an H-shaped frame is attached to the back wall 28 of the container 12. The H-shaped frame may be fastened to an anchoring element such as the wall, the door, or the like using conventional fastening means such as bolts, weldments, adhesives, or the like. Additionally, lower vertically oriented portions of the H-shaped frame may be driven into the ground surface or like anchoring element.
In use, an outgoing package 80 is placed in the outgoing compartment 16 and the outgoing door 74 is closed and locked. Codes or other validation means for opening the outgoing door 74 is shared with delivery personnel, who unlock the outgoing door 74 and retrieve the outgoing package 80. Delivery personnel may also put a delivered package 108 into the delivery opening 100 by opening the delivery door 102. When the motion sensor 112 detects motion in front of the container 12, the camera 110 records the video, which is then wirelessly transmitted by the transmitter 116 via the communication network to be viewed by the user. The user may retrieve the delivered package 108 by unlocking the access lock 52 and opening the access door 46 to remove the delivered package 108 through the access opening 44.
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.
