GB2437967A

GB2437967A - Automated lockerbank

Info

Publication number: GB2437967A
Application number: GB0609540A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jean-Louis Barre
Original assignee: Bybox Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: Bybox Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 2006-05-13
Filing date: 2006-05-13
Publication date: 2007-11-14
Also published as: GB0609540D0

Abstract

A locker 1 for the deposit and collection of good comprises a compartment having a door 4, and a controller 2 which cooperates with a user interface 3 to control the door so as to regulate access to the compartment. The locker is characterised in that the compartment includes a moveable internal wall 10, displaceable relative to the door so as to lie substantially adjacent the door when the door is closed. A sensor 14 may be provided to sense the position of the wall. A lock, preferably controlled by the controller, may prevent displacement of the wall, preferably the lock permits movement in a first selected direction while preventing movement in the opposite direction. The wall may be resiliently biased towards the door by a biasing means such as a spring, wherein in use the spring is preferably loaded by displacement of the wall away from the door by a user. The compartment may by accessed via a hinged door or alternatively a slidable drawer, wherein the aforementioned door comprises the front wall of the drawer and the moveable internal wall is mounted on the drawer housing. Closing 5 and locking 6 means may be provided to close the door and lock it once it is fully closed.

Description

Automated locker This invention relates to arrangements for regulating

access to automated lockers for the deposit and collection of goods such as letters, parcels and the like, and particularly to the component lockers of automated lockerbanks.

Lockerbanks are facilities, often networked and sited in public places, which enable goods (which may for example have been ordered by a consumer from a retailer or online "etailer", or by a service engineer from a central warehouse) to be deposited by a first person and then securely stored for later collection by another person. A lockerbank typically comprises a local electronic controller which is in communication with a central network computer, a user interface including a keypad or touchscrecn and a card or tag reader, and a block of secure automated lockers, each locker having an individual door. The controller responds to instructions from the central computer to lock or unlock each locker door in accordance with the data received via the interface.

Each locker may also comprise one or more moveable partitions which allow adjacent lockers to be combined or separated, as disclosed for example by US 2004/0177008A1 and US 2002/0130065A1.

in other types of lockerbank, one or more access panels or shutters may be incrementally adjusted so as to provide selective access to each one of a plurality of fixed compartments, as disclosed for example by EP 1 382 273 Al.

Other types of lockerbank comprise a plurality of moveable compartments which are selectively and individually aligned by the controller with a single, common access door. Such lockerbanks may for example take the form of a paternoster cabinet or a rotary carousel. In yet further types the lockerbank resembles a vending machine wherein each parcel is stored by an automated internal transport system in one of an array of fixed, internal compartments; when the parcel is to be collected, the controller operates the transport system to remove the parcel and deposit it in an automated locker which comprises an interface compartment communicating with an external access door or opening. The locker may rotate so that the access door is formed by part of the locker wall. In still further arrangements an automated locker may comprise a drawer which is retained in a cabinet or housing.

For individual users, a single, stand-alone or networked, automated locker may be arranged at home or business premises, and programmable for example to open the door to allow the collection of items deposited for dry cleaning by an authorised representative of the dry cleaner; and then later to allow the deposit of mail order goods in the same locker by an authorised can-icr. A separate door may provide access for the owner.

Since automated lockers of all the above mentioned types are intended to be used by a variety of authorised persons, both for deliveries and for collections, during day and night and usually without direct supervision, it is important that access to the or each locker should be as far as possible under automatic control. In order to ensure that each locker is protected from vandalism and remains available for use, it is desirable for the or each locker door to be automatically closeable and lockable by the controller in the event that it is inadvertently left open by a person effecting a delivery or, more usually, a collection. However, this incurs the risk that a small child or an animal may enter the unattended locker and become trapped inside. To avoid this risk, it has often been preferred not to fit an automatic closing and locking device, or otherwise to disable such a device if the locker door is left open after a collection has been made, so that an open locker door is allowed to remain open rather than being closed and locked automatically.

This reduces the effective capacity of the lockerbank network.

In public places, the use of automated lockers for the deposit of luggage and the like also incurs the risk that unauthorised items, and in particular explosive devices, may be deposited inside. The use of an automated lockerbank with a local or networked controller, which will only open a locker when an authorised individual (whose details are already registered on the local controller or network computer) identifies himself via the user interface, can reduce this risk to an acceptable level. However, the weakness remains that if the locker door is left open after the item inside has been collected, an unidentified third party may deposit a device inside the locker before the door is closed.

It is known, for example from US 5 223 829, to provide an internal sensor which indicates the presence of an item within a locker. However, it does not identify the item as authorised or unauthorised.

WO 01/39638 Al discloses a tag reader which identifies a tag on a known item when it is deposited inside a locker, so verifying the presence of the item within the locker. This provides an increased level of security, but still does not prevent an unauthorised item from being deposited inside the locker by a third party after a collection is made by an authorised individual.

It is accordingly the aim of the present invention to provide an automated locker which is more suitable for use in a public place.

According to the present invention there is provided an automated locker as defined in any of the appended claims.

In use, the moveable internal wall is arranged to move forwards in the locker compartment so that it abuts or nearly abuts the door as the door is closed, preventing the insertion into the locker compartment of any unauthorised item of substantial size before the door is closed. This ensures that no unauthorised item or device can be placed inside an empty locker after a collection has been made, and thus makes it possible to site an automated lockerbank in sensitive locations such as airports and the like. It also obviates the risk of entrapment and so makes it possible to equip each locker with an automatic door closing and locking device, ensuring that each locker remains in service even when its door is left open by a person making a collection.

Further features and advantages will become evident from the following illustrative embodiments which are described by way of example and without limitation to the scope of the invention, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figs. lA, lB and IC show a first automated lockerbank with one of its lockers respectively closed and locked, with the internal wall fully retracted, and with the internal wall fully extended; Figs. 2A and 2B arc respectively front and side views of the moveable internal wall assembly of the locker shown in Figs. 1A -IC; and Figs. 3A, 3B and 3C show a second automated lockerbank with one of its lockers respectively open to receive a delivery, partially closed following a collection, and partially closed following a delivery.

Corresponding features are indicated by the same reference numerals in each of the embodiments.

Referring to Figs. 1A -lC, a lockerbank comprises a fixed housing 1 which contains an electronic controller 2, a user interface 3 which includes a keypad, a screen and a tag and barcode reader, and a plurality of secure lockers, each comprising a compartment with a hinged door 4. Each door is equipped with an actuator 5 and a lock 6 which are controlled by the controller 2. The controller is equipped with a data link to a remote network hub computer, from which it receives instructions to open, close, lock and unlock each door in response to user and parcel identification data which are received via the user interface.

The interior of each locker comprises a compartment whose side walls are provided with four slots 7, of which two can be seen in Fig. 1B; the floor 8 may be equipped with a roller assembly which assists in the insertion and retrieval of heavy items. The internal rear wall 10 of the compartment, of which the front face 10' is visible in Fig. 1C, comprises a sheet metal plate which is slideably mounted on the housing 1 sO that it can move forwards and backwards in the compartment towards and away from the door 4.

Referring also to Figs. 2A and 2B, the moving wall 10 is provided with four mounting ribs 11 which extend through the slots 7 in the side walls of the locker compartment. Four round section rails 12 (which are partially cut away for clarity in the illustration) are arranged, one behind each of the four slots 7, and fixed at their ends to the housing 1. Each rib 11 is provided with a collar 13 forming a bearing which is slidably mounted on one of the rails, so that the wall 10 is freely displaceable relative to the door 4 by moving it backwards and forwards in the compartment while each of its four edges slidingly abuts the internal compartment side walls at all times.

In its rearmost position (Fig. IB, in which the plate cannot be seen) the wall 10 lies against the rear wall of the housing so that the whole internal volume of the locker compartment is available. In its foremost position (Fig. 1C) the front face 10' of the plate is positioned as shown at the front of the locker compartment so that it abuts the internal face of the door 4 when the door is closed.

A sensor 14 is arranged to indicate to the controller 2 when the wall 10 is in the foremost position (Fig. I C), and further sensors may be arranged to track its movement in other positions. The wall 10 is resiliently biased to the foremost position (Fig. 1C) by one or more springs 15, and its movement is controlled by one or more serrated bars 16, of which for the sake of clarity only one is shown in the illustrations.

Each bar 16 comprises a pair of oppositely directed sets of ratchet serrations 17, 17', which in use engage one of the ribs 11. The bar is mounted on links 18 on the housing I behind one of the slots 7 so that it is moveable by a solenoid actuator 19, controlled by the controller 2, between an upper position (shown in Fig. 2B) in which one of the links 18 abuts an upper stop 20, and a lower position in which the link 18 abuts a lower stop 21. In the upper position as shown, the rib 11 engages the lower set of serrations 17' and the wall 10 can therefore travel in the reverse direction R towards the rear of the locker compartment as the rib 11 engages the sloping surface of each serration so as to displace the bar 16 against the restoring force of an over-centre spring 22. Travel in the forward direction F is prevented by the perpendicular face of each serration.

In use, the wall 10 is positioned at the front of the locker compartment as shown in Fig. IC as the locker door 4 is opened to receive a delivery, and the actuator 19 is set to the illustrated position. In order to make the delivery, the delivery person inserts the parcel into the locker by pushing the wall 10 back into the locker compartment in the direction R against the restoring force of the spring 15; forward movement is prevented by the ratchet serrations 17'. The delivery person then closes the door and the controller 2 locks it to complete the delivery.

When the recipient arrives to collect the item, the controller unlocks and opens the locker door 4 and moves the actuator 19 and bar 16 to the lower position (not shown), in which the link 18 abuts the lower stop 21 so that the rib 11 now engages the upper set of serrations 17. This permits the wall 10 to move in the forward direction F towards the front of the locker compartment under the biasing force of the spring 15 as the item is removed from the locker compartment; movement in the reverse direction R is prevented by the perpendicular face of each of the upper serrations 17. If desired, the spring force can be arranged to assist removal of the item, in which case the locker floor 8 is preferably equipped with a roller mechanism. This makes it possible to empty the locker automatically.

Once the item is removed the wall 10 is thus locked by the bar 16 in the position shown in Fig. 1C, which is indicated to the controller 2 by the sensor 14. The controller then automatically closes and locks the door by means of the actuator 5 and lock 6; at the moment that the door reaches its closed position (as shown in Fig. lA), the wall 10 thus lies substantially adjacent the door, which is to say that its front face 10' substantially abuts the inner face of the door in the closed position of the door. This minimises, which is to say, reduces to a negligible amount the accessible internal volume of the compartment between the wall 10 and the door 4 at the moment that the door is closed, making it impossible to insert anything of substantial dimensions into the locker before the door is closed.

The locker is then ready to receive another delivery.

Referring to Figs. 3A -3C, in an alternative embodiment at least some of the lockers are formed as drawers 30 which are slidably mounted in the lockerbank housing 1 so that the door of each locker is formed by the front wall 31 of the drawer. The side walls of the drawer are equipped with slots 32 to receive the ribs of a rear wall 10 which is similar to that of the first embodiment, and is slidably mounted on the housing in a similar way to that already described.

When the drawer is opened to receive a delivery (Fig. 3A) the rear wall 10 is positioned at the front of the locker compartment. The goods 40 are then placed in the drawer and the drawer is pushed shut (Fig. 3C) so that the inserted goods abut the rear wall 10 and push it back into the housing 1 as the drawer is closed. The drawer is then locked to await collection of the goods. When the recipient arrives the drawer is opened so that the goods can be removed, and the controller 2 releases the rear wall 10 so that it is returned by the spring 15 to its initial position at the front of the locker compartment. As the drawer is then closed (Fig. 3B), either by the user or by a powered ballscrew or other actuator controlled by the controller 2, the rear wall 10 remains locked in its foremost position so that at the moment the drawer front 31 is fully closed to abut the housing 1, its internal face abuts or nearly abuts the moveable wall 10. The drawer thus cannot be closed unless it is empty.

In both of the embodiments illustrated, the moveable internal wall forms the rear wall of the locker and lies opposite the locker door, so that nothing can become trapped as it moves forwards towards the open door. In alternative embodiments it may be formed for example as a sliding or hinged shutter which is inserted into the drawer adjacent a rear wall of the drawer when the drawer is fully open, and remains in position as the drawer is closed; or for example as one or more of the other internal walls of the locker compartment.

The spring loaded embodiments described and illustrated, in which the moveable wall derives its motive power from the user of the locker, are simple and economical. In alternative embodiments however the wall 10 might be moved forwards and backwards by means of a baliscrew or other powered actuator controlled by the controller 2, and the sensor 14 might not be provided. The moving wall might also be provided without any locking arrangement, in which case the controller 2 is arranged not to lock the door 4 if the wall 10 is displaced from its foremost position following a collection. Instead of a powered actuator 5 the door 4 may be closed by a spring, a pneumatic strut, or the like. It will also be appreciated that the invention may be applied to other types of automated lockers than those described and illustrated, including those types mentioned in the preamble, wherein for example each locker door may form part of the locker wall or may be shared with adjacent lockers. Numerous other adaptations will be evident to those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims.

In summary, embodiments provide an automated locker, for example forming part of a public lockerbank, which is provided with a moving internal wall which moves forwards in the locker compartment to abut the locker door and so to prevent the ingress of children or animals or the insertion of any unauthorised item as the locker door is closed. The wall may be powered by a spring which is loaded by the user when the goods are deposited.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. An automated locker for the deposit and collection of goods, comprising a compartment having a door, and a controller cooperating with a user interface to control the door and so regulate access to the compartment, characterised in that the compartment includes a moveable internal wall, wherein the moveable internal wall is displaceable relative to the door so as to lie substantially adjacent the door in a closed position of the door.

2. An automated locker according to claim 1, charactcrised in that a sensor is provided to sense the position of the wall, the sensor cooperating with the controller.

3. An automated locker according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that locking means are provided for selectively preventing displacement of the wall, the locking means being controlled by the controller.

4. An automated locker according to claim 3, characterised in that the locking means are arranged to permit movement of the wall in a first, selected direction while selectively preventing movement in a second, reverse direction.

5. An automated locker according to claim 4, characterised in that the wall is resiliently biased towards the door by biasing means, and the biasing means are loaded by displacement of the wall away from the door by a user.

6. An automated locker according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the compartment comprises a drawer which is slidably mounted in a fixed housing, the door comprising a front wall of the drawer which abuts the housing in a fully closed position, and the moveable internal wall is mounted on the housing.

7. An automated locker according to any preceding claim, characterised in that closing means and locking means are provided, the closing means moving the door to a fully closed position and the locking means then locking the door when it reaches the fully closed position.

8. An automated locker substantially as described and illustrated.