GB2524090A

GB2524090A - Parcelbox

Info

Publication number: GB2524090A
Application number: GB1404602.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Joseph Wilmot
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-03-14
Filing date: 2014-03-14
Publication date: 2015-09-16
Also published as: GB201404602D0

Abstract

A box 1 for receiving mail items 30 such as parcels, comprising a receptacle 4 having an opening 10 in one end and a plurality of flaps 20 hinged 22 from at least one edge of the opening, the plurality of flaps being adapted to deflect only internally of the receptacle and biased to a closed position whereby the opening is substantially obscured. The box also comprises a lid 25 and also a door 40 for retrieval of mail deposited. The box also comprises a plurality of sensors to detect when an object is introduced into the receptacle. A plurality of layers of flaps are arranged at depths within the receptacle to make it more difficult to remove the mail item.

Description

PARCEL BOX

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to boxes for receiving mail items, particu-larly parcels.

Background to the Invention

With internet shopping becoming a routine part of everyday life, parcel delivery companies are having to expand and grow to meet the needs of the customer. The customer cannot always be at home ready to receive the parcel delivery securely, and similarly the parcel delivery company cannot wait around for the recipient to turn up so that they can get on to their next job.

Various methods are currently employed to allow the parcel delivery company to deliver the parcel securely and then move on to their next delivery.

Such methods can involve prior arrangement by the company and the recipient to place the parcel in an agreed location at the residence (such as a shed or green house), or leave the parcel with a neighbour. Various designs of lock able parcel boxes have been designed as well.

With all these methods, a thief can easily access the parcel, for example by breaking into the shed/greenhouse, or breaking the lock on the mail box.

There has now been devised a box for receiving mail items such as par-cels that substantially mitigates or overcomes the above mentioned and/or other

disadvantages associated with the prior art.

Summary of the Invention

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a box for receiving mail items such as parcels, comprising a receptacle having an opening in one end and a plurality of flaps hinged from at least one edge of the opening, the plurali-ty of flaps being adapted to deflect only internally of the receptacle and biased to a closed position whereby the opening is substantially obscured.

The box according to the invention is advantageous because the flaps cannot be rotated outwards of the receptacle. Therefore the flaps cannot be lift-ed so as to gain access to the contents of the receptacle. The combination of the biasing feature of the flaps, the fact that the flaps only deflect within the re- ceptacle and the fact that there are a plurality of flaps, makes it extremely diffi-cult for mail items such as parcels deposited within the box to be removed from the opening. The plurality of flaps therefore provides a physical barrier to re-moval of the mail items through the opening. The plurality of flaps also provides means for the mail item to enter the receptacle.

The opening may form all or part of one end of the receptacle. Part of one end may be obscured by a fixed member. In such an embodiment the flaps preferably extend from at least one edge of the opening to the edge of the fixed member. The fixed member may comprise part of the receptacle.

The flaps are preferably moveable independently from one another. The flaps are preferably hinged independently from one another. The flaps are pref- erably biased independently from one another. The flaps preferably deflect in-dependently from one another. The flaps may be hinged from any edge of the opening. The flaps may be hinged from at least one edge of the fixed member, where part of one end of the receptacle is obscured by the fixed member. Each of the flaps which make up the plurality of flaps are preferably independently moveable from one another. Each of the flaps which make up the plurality of flaps preferably deflect inwardly of the receptacle independently of one another.

Each of the flaps which make up the plurality of flaps are preferably biased in- dependently from one another. Each flap is preferably separated from one an-other by a small gap so as to allow each individual flap to move relative to its neighbour, without hindrance to one another.

The plurality of flaps are preferably arranged in a row.

The flaps are preferably biased to a closed position. Biasing is preferably by a spring or resiliently deformable member which acts about or is integral with the hinge.

The flaps are prevented from rotating externally of the receptacle prefer-ably by one or more abutment members. The abutment members may be on the opening, the receptacle and/or the binge. Preferably the flaps abut against the abutment members.

The receptacle may comprise a lid. Preferably the lid is hinged from one edge of the opening or from one side of the receptacle. The lid preferably ex-tends across the whole opening and covers the flaps. The lid is preferably weather proof and rain proof. The lid may be lockable with the receptacle to prevent exposure to the flaps and the opening of the receptacle.

The receptacle preferably comprises a door for retrieval of mail items de-posited within the receptacle. The door may be lockable with the receptacle.

When the box is located against a house or the like, the door may be accessible only from inside the building.

The receptacle is preferably manufactured from vandal or burglar proof material. The receptacle is preferably manufactured from metal or heavy duty plastic, or wood. The receptacle may be mountable against, on, or in a wall of the building. The receptacle therefore preferably comprises mounting points for such purposes.

The box may comprise a plurality of sensors to detect when a physical object is introduced into the receptacle through the opening. The sensors pref-erably detect the time the physical object is within the path of the sensors. After a time period set by the owner of the box, if the path is still broken between the sensors (ie when a burglar has his hand in trying to retrieve parcels) then the sensors preferably signal to an alarm system to sound. The sensors may be lo-cated externally or internally of the receptacle.

The box may comprise a detector system on the lid so as to detect when the lid has been opened. The detector system works in substantially the same way as the sensors and signals to an alarm system (which sounds) when the lid has been opened for an extended period.

There may be a plurality of layers of flaps, arranged at different depths within the receptacle. This makes it even harder for someone to remove the mail item from the receptacle through the opening. The layers of flaps within the receptacle are substantially the same in design and mode of operation to the flaps at the opening. The layers of flaps are preferably sufficiently spaced apart to allow for deflection of the flaps on the neighbouring layer.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a sectional drawing of an embodiment of the box according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a three dimensional view of an embodiment of the box ac-cording to the invention.

Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiment

In figure 1 and 2 there is shown a box generally designated 1. The box 1 comprises a receptacle 4 that has four sides, a base and an opening 10. The opening 10 is across the whole cross sectional area of one end of the recepta-cle 4. The receptacle 4 is made from steel. Arranged across the opening 10 there are a plurality steel of flaps 20. The flaps 20 cover substantially all of the opening 10. There are two rows of flaps 20 hinged from opposite edges of the opening 10. Each flap 20 has its own hinge 22 and each flap is therefore inde-pendently moveable from one another. In the example shown the receptacle 4 is 1200mm deep, 600mm wide and 500mm long. In each row of flaps 20 there are 5 flaps with approximate dimensions 100mm X 300mm. Thus there are 20 flaps in total. The hinges 22 are sprung, so that the flaps 20 are biased upwards towards the opening, so as to close the opening 10 in the normal resting posi-tion. A lid 25 is provided which covers the opening 10. The lid is made of steel and prevents the rain from entering the receptacle. The lid 25 is hinged 26, and rotates upwards in the direction of the arrow shown, when a mail item is re-quired to be placed into the receptacle 4. When a mail item 30 such as a parcel is introduced into the opening 10, one or more flaps 20 deflect downwards, into the receptacle 4, towards the wall of the receptacle (as shown by the direction of the arrows in Figure 1). The mail item 30 then drops to the bottom portion of the receptacle 4 towards the base. Due to the biasing forces, the flaps 20 then spring back to their resting position, which in the example shown, is against abutments that are integral with the hinges 22. The abutments are so designed that the flaps are all held in a substantially planar orientation. In figures 1 and 2, the opening is at the top of cuboid shaped receptacle and therefore all of the flaps are orientated in a generally horizontal plane. The abutments also prevent the rotation of the flaps in the opposite direction outwards of the receptacle 4.

Therefore, the engagement of the flaps 20 with the abutments prevents removal of the mail item through the opening 10. A door 4 is provided in the wall of the receptacle 4. The door is hinged and has a lock to make it secure. When the addressee for the mail item wishes to retrieve the mail item, he or she opens the lock and opens the door 40 to gain access to the interior of the receptacle.

Removal of the mail item 30 through the opening 10 is also prevented because the flaps 20 are biased towards closing the opening 10 (i.e. contrary to the di- rection of movement). Also, as there are a plurality of flaps which are not al-lowed to rotate outside of the receptacle it is almost impossible to remove the mail item through the opening 10 without engaging at least one of the flaps.

This is because the flaps are only allowed to deflect inwards and removal in the reverse direction will cause the robber or mail item to be engaged with the flaps.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A box for receiving mail items such as parcels, comprising a re-ceptacle having an opening in one end and a plurality of flaps hinged from at least one edge of the opening, the plurality of flaps being adapted to deflect only internally of the receptacle and biased to a closed position whereby the opening is substantially obscured.
2. A box according to claim 1, wherein the opening forms all or part of one end of the receptacle.
3. A box according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein part of one end is obscured by a fixed member.
4. A box according to claim 3, wherein the flaps extend from at least one edge of the opening to the edge of the fixed member.
5. A box according to any preceding claim, wherein the flaps are moveable independently from one another.
6. A box according to any preceding claim, wherein the flaps are hinged independently from one another.
7. A box according to any preceding claim, wherein the flaps are bi-ased independently from one another.
8. A box according to any preceding claim, where the flaps deflect independently from one another.
9. A box according to any preceding claim, wherein the flaps are hinged from any edge of the opening.
10. A box according to claim 3, wherein the flaps are hinged from at least one edge of the fixed member.
11. A box according to any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of flaps are arranged in a row.
12. A box according to any preceding claim, wherein the biasing is by a spring or resiliently deformable member which acts about or is integral with the hinge.
13. A box according to any preceding claim, wherein the flaps are prevented from rotating externally of the receptacle by one or more abutment members.
14. A box according to any preceding claim, further comprising a lid.
15. A box according to any preceding claim, wherein the receptacle comprises a door for retrieval of mail items deposited within the receptacle.
16. A box according to any preceding claim, further comprising a plu- rality of sensors to detect when a physical object is introduced into the recepta-cle through the opening.
17. A box according to any preceding claim, wherein there are a plu-rality of layers of flaps, arranged at different depths within the receptacle.
18. A box substantially as described within reference to, or as shown in, the drawings.