JP6688987B2 - Mailbox and sensor utilization system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a mailbox and a sensor utilization system.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a sign post with illumination in which a lamp, a color panel, and a control unit are built in the sign post. The color panel is a tubular body and is rotatably provided around the lamp. The color panel is made of a translucent material and has a color tone that continuously changes. A temperature sensor for detecting the outside air temperature is mounted on the front surface of the sign post. The control unit has a drive device that drives the color panel. The control unit rotationally drives the color panel according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor so that the light from the lamp passes through the color panel and emits light in a color according to the outside air temperature.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-7183

  By the way, in the above-mentioned illuminated sign post, the environmental information around the sign post detected by the temperature sensor cannot be used in an external device used apart from the sign post. Further, since the temperature sensor is provided on the front surface of the sign post, it is easily affected by sunlight, rain, and the like, and it is difficult to accurately detect environmental information around the sign post.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to accurately detect environmental information around a mail box, and to use the detected environmental information effectively in a device outside the mail box and a sensor. The purpose is to provide a usage system.

  In order to achieve the above object, the mail box of the present invention includes a mail box, a sensor attached to the mail box, which detects environmental information around the mail box, and the environmental information detected by the sensor. A communication unit for transmitting to the outside of the mail box, the lower surface of the mail box includes an exposed portion that is exposed to the outside when the mail box is installed, and the sensor is attached to the exposed portion. It is characterized by

  Further, the sensor utilization system of the present invention comprises a mail box and an external device used at a position distant from the mail box, the mail box being attached to the mail box and the mail box, and the mail box. And a first communication unit for transmitting the environmental information detected by the sensor to the outside of the mail box, and the external device is transmitted from the first communication unit. And a second communication unit for receiving the environmental information, the external device is a device that executes a process based on the environmental information received by the second communication unit, and the lower surface of the mail box is It is characterized in that the sensor includes an exposed portion exposed to the outside when the mail box is installed, and the sensor is attached to the exposed portion.

  The mailbox and sensor utilization system according to the present invention can accurately detect environmental information around the mailbox, and the detected environmental information can be effectively used by a device outside the mailbox.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a mail box according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on a gate post. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mail box provided in the mail box. FIG. 3 is a perspective view seen from the lower side of the mail box. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which the mailbox is installed on a gate post. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a sensor utilization system including the mailbox.

  The present invention described below relates to a mail receiver and a sensor usage system, and more particularly to a mail receiver including a sensor for detecting environmental information and a sensor usage system including the mail receiver.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the mailbox 1 of the present embodiment is installed with a part thereof embedded in an installation portion provided outdoors. The installation portion shown in FIG. 1 is a gate post 9 provided as an outer groove of a building, and is provided in a state of standing on the ground.

  Below, it demonstrates using the direction in the state in which the mailbox 1 was installed in the gate 9. Specifically, the building side of the mailbox 1 will be described as the rear side, the side opposite to the building of the mailbox 1 will be described as the front, and the left side of the mailbox 1 as viewed from the front will be described as the left side.

  The mail box 1 includes a mail box 2. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the mail box 2 of the present embodiment has an input unit 22 and a storage unit 23. The input portion 22 constitutes the front end portion of the mail box 2, and is formed in a rectangular box shape. The storage part 23 projects rearward from the input part 22 and is formed in a rectangular box shape smaller than the input part 22 when viewed from the front.

  An input port 20 that penetrates in the front-rear direction is formed in the front surface portion of the input portion 22 (the front surface portion of the mailbox 2). The postal matter is put into the inside of the mailbox 2 through the input port 20. The postal matter thus put into the mail receiving box 2 from the input port 20 is stored in the storage unit 23.

  An outlet 21 (see FIG. 4) penetrating in the front-rear direction is formed in the rear surface of the storage portion 23 (rear surface of the mailbox 2). As shown in FIG. 4, an openable / closable lid 24 that closes the outlet 21 is attached to the rear end of the storage portion 23. To take out the mail items stored in the storage unit 23, the lid 24 may be opened to open the outlet 21, and the mail items may be taken out from the outlet 21.

  A part of the mail box 2 in the front-rear direction is an embedding portion 25 embedded in the gate post 9. The embedding part 25 of the present embodiment is configured by the front part of the storage part 23.

  The mail box 2 has a protrusion 26 that protrudes rearward from the gate post 9 when the embedded portion 25 is installed in a state where the embedded part 25 is embedded in the gate post 9. The protruding portion 26 of the present embodiment is the rear portion of the storage portion 23.

  The lower surface of the projecting portion 26 of the mail box 2 is an exposed portion 31 that is exposed to the outside when the mail box 2 is installed with the embedded portion 25 embedded in the gate post 9. That is, the lower surface of the mailbox 2 includes the exposed portion 31 that is exposed to the outside when the embedded portion 25 is installed in the gate post 9 in a state of being embedded therein.

  At least a portion of the bottom of the mail box 2 corresponding to the exposed portion 31 is made of synthetic resin. In this embodiment, the entire bottom portion 27 of the storage portion 23 is made of synthetic resin.

  The mail box 1 of the present embodiment further includes a sensor device 4 attached to the mail box 2. The sensor device 4 includes a casing 40, a sensor 42 (see FIG. 5), a control unit 41 (see FIG. 5), a battery 43 (see FIG. 5), and a communication unit 51.

  The casing 40 constitutes the outer shell of the sensor device 4, and is formed in a flat box shape. The casing 40 contains a sensor 42, a control unit 41, a battery 43, and a communication unit 51 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a fitting groove 28 is formed in the exposed portion 31 (the lower surface of the protruding portion 26) of the mail box 2. The fitting groove 28 constitutes a mounting portion for mounting the sensor device 4 (sensor 42).

  The fitting groove 28 is located at the center of the rear end portion in the left-right direction on the lower surface of the bottom portion 27 of the storage portion 23. In the present embodiment, a lattice-shaped reinforcing rib 29 is formed on the lower surface of the bottom portion 27 of the housing portion 23 in a portion excluding the fitting groove 28, and a part of the reinforcing rib 29 constitutes the peripheral wall of the fitting groove 28. Has been done.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the casing 40 is fitted in the fitting groove 28. Thereby, the sensor device 4 is attached to the mail box 2.

  The mail box 1 is installed in the gate post 9 with the embedded portion 25 of the mail box 2 embedded in the gate post 9. When the mailbox 1 is installed on the gate post 9 in this manner, the input part 22 of the mailbox 2 projects forward from the gate post 9. Further, the protruding portion 26 (rear portion of the storage portion 23) protrudes rearward from the gate pillar 9, and the sensor device 4 attached to the lower surface of the protruding portion 26 is exposed to the outside of the gate pillar 9.

  The sensor 42 of the mail box 1 detects environmental information around the mail box 2. The sensor 42 detects, for example, as environmental information, at least one environmental information of temperature, humidity, illuminance, and atmospheric pressure.

  The sensor 42 of the present embodiment has a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an illuminance sensor, and a pressure sensor as sensor elements, and detects temperature, humidity, illuminance, and atmospheric pressure as constant environmental information at regular time intervals.

  It is preferable that the inside of the casing 40 communicates with the outside of the casing 40 via, for example, a ventilation hole formed in the casing 40. This is because the sensor 42 can detect the environmental information outside the casing 40 more accurately.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the sensor 42 is electrically connected to the control unit 41 having a processor 44 and a memory 45. A battery 43 and a communication unit 51 are electrically connected to the control unit 41.

  The battery 43 is a primary battery and is used as a power source for the control unit 41, the sensor 42, and the communication unit 51. The first control unit 41 transmits the environment information detected by the sensor 42 from the first communication unit 51 to the outside.

  The sensor utilization system of the present embodiment includes, in addition to the above-mentioned mail box 1, an external device used at a position apart from the mail box 1. The external device is a device that executes a process based on the outdoor environment information detected by the sensor 42. The external device of this embodiment is the mobile terminal 6, more specifically, a smartphone.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the mobile terminal 6 includes a display 60, a control unit 62, a communication unit 72, and a battery 61.

  Hereinafter, the control unit 41 of the sensor device 4 will be referred to as a first control unit 41, and the control unit 62 of the mobile terminal 6 will be referred to as a second control unit 62. The communication unit 51 of the sensor device 4 is called the first communication unit 51, and the communication unit 72 of the mobile terminal 6 is called the second communication unit 72.

  The second controller 62 has a processor 63 and a memory 64. The display 60, the second communication unit 72, and the battery 61 are electrically connected to the second control unit 62. The battery 43 is a secondary battery and is used as a power source for the second control unit 62, the display 60, and the second communication unit 72.

  The second communication unit 72 performs wireless communication with the first communication unit 51 using, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), wireless LAN, or the like.

  An application for displaying the environmental information detected by the sensor 42 of the mail box 1 on the display 60 is installed in the memory 64 of the second control unit 62.

  When the user operates the mobile terminal 6 and the second control unit 62 executes the application, the second control unit 62 causes the second communication unit 72 to use the environment information transmitted from the first communication unit 51. The environment information is received and displayed on the display 60. By seeing the environmental information displayed on the display 60 in this way, the user can confirm the environmental information around the mail box 1 while staying in the building, for example. Further, when the temperature, the humidity, the illuminance, and the atmospheric pressure are detected as the environmental information as in the present embodiment, the user can comprehensively confirm the weather information.

  Further, the sensor device 4 including the sensor 42 of the present embodiment is attached to the protruding portion 26 protruding rearward from the gate post 9 of the mail box 2, as shown in FIG. Therefore, as compared with the case where the sensor 42 is attached to the embedded portion 25 of the mail box 2, the sensor 42 can accurately detect the environmental information.

  The sensor device 4 including the sensor 42 of the present embodiment is attached to the lower surface of the protrusion 26 and is located below the protrusion 26. Therefore, the sensor 42 is not easily affected by sunlight, rain, etc., and also in this respect, the environmental information around the mail box 2 can be accurately detected.

  The casing 40 of the sensor device 4 may be fixed to the mail box 2 by using a fixing tool such as a screw or an adhesive agent while being fitted in the fitting groove 28, for example. Further, the mounting portion to which the sensor 42 is mounted is not limited to the fitting groove 28, and may be, for example, a step portion formed on the lower surface of the protrusion 26. Alternatively, the lower surface of the protrusion 26 may be a flat surface, and the sensor 42 may be attached to this flat surface.

  Further, the sensor 42 of the present embodiment is fixed to the mail box 2 by attaching the casing 40 to the attachment portion, that is, the sensor 42 is attached to the attachment portion via the casing 40. However, the sensor 42 may be directly attached to the attachment portion.

  Further, although the external device of the present embodiment is a smartphone, it may be a mobile terminal such as a tablet or a mobile phone, or may be an information monitor or a television provided inside the building. The communication between the first communication unit 51 and the second communication unit 72 may be performed directly or may be performed via a relay. The communication between the first communication unit 51 and the second communication unit 72 may be wire communication. The power source of the sensor 42 is not limited to the battery 43, and may be an external power source such as a commercial power source.

  Further, for example, when an electric device such as a lighting device is provided in the mailbox 2, it is necessary to connect the electric device to an external power source. Therefore, when the external power source is used as the power source of the sensor 42, the sensor 42 and the external power source may be connected using an electric wire that connects the electric device and the external power source.

  Further, the external device may be controlled based on the environmental information detected by the sensor 42. That is, the external device may be any device that is used at a position distant from the mailbox 1 and performs some processing based on the environmental information detected by the sensor 42. Specifically, the external device may be indoor lighting of the building, outdoor lighting, a blind device that automatically adjusts the amount of external light entering the building, an automatic watering device, an automatic laundry intake device, or the like. .

  Further, the environmental information detected by the sensor 42 may include environmental information such as altitude, magnetism, and voice.

  Further, the installation part of the mail box 1 is not limited to the gate post 9, and may be a fence or a wall. Further, the mail box 2 of the present embodiment is installed in a state where the front end portion (the insertion portion 22) projects forward from the installation portion, but is installed in a state in which all the parts except the projection portion 26 are embedded in the installation portion. May be done. Further, the mail box 2 of the present embodiment is installed with a part in the front-back direction embedded in the installation portion, but it may be a mail box installed with the whole exposed.

  Further, the mail box 2 may be entirely made of synthetic resin, or only the bottom portion 27 of the storage portion 23 or only the bottom portion of the protruding portion 26 may be made of synthetic resin.

  The mailbox 1 of the present embodiment described above has the following configuration. The mail box 2 includes a sensor 42, and a communication unit 51 (first communication unit 51). The sensor 42 is attached to the mail box 2 and detects environmental information around the mail box 2. The communication unit 51 transmits the environmental information detected by the sensor 42 to the outside of the mail box 2. The lower surface of the mail box 2 has an exposed portion 31 that is exposed to the outside when the mail box 2 is installed. The sensor 42 is attached to the exposed portion 31.

  Since the sensor 42 is provided in the exposed portion 31 of the mail box 2 in the mail box 1 having this configuration, the sensor 42 can be used to accurately detect environmental information outside the mail box 2 around the mail box 1. Further, since the sensor 42 is attached to the lower surface of the mail box 2, it is not easily affected by sunlight, rain, and the like, and also in this respect, the environmental information around the mail box 2 can be accurately detected. Further, the sensor 42 is less likely to be rained, and the waterproof measure of the sensor 42 can be simplified or omitted. In addition, the environment information thus detected by the sensor 42 can be transmitted to the outside of the mail box 2 by the communication unit 51. Therefore, the mail box 1 of this embodiment can accurately detect the environmental information around the mail box 2, and the detected environmental information can be effectively used by a device outside the mail box 2.

  The mail box 1 of this embodiment has the following additional configuration. The mail box 2 can be installed with a part (embedded portion 25) in the front-back direction of the mail box 2 embedded in the installation portion (gate post 9). The mail receiving box 2 has a protruding portion 26 that protrudes rearward from the installation portion when the mail receiving box 2 is installed in a state where a part in the front-back direction is embedded in the installation portion. The lower surface of the protruding portion 26 is the exposed portion 31.

  The mail box 1 having this configuration can be installed with a part of the mail box 2 in the front-rear direction embedded in the installation section. Further, in the mail box 1 provided with such a mail box 2, environment information around the mail box 2 can be accurately detected, and the detected environment information can be effectively used by a device outside the mail box 2.

  The mail box 1 of this embodiment has the following additional configuration. At least a portion of the bottom of the mail box 2 corresponding to the exposed portion 31 is made of synthetic resin.

  In the mail box 1 having this configuration, the storage portion and the opening for mounting the sensor 42 in the mail box 2 can be easily formed by resin molding.

  Further, the sensor utilization system of this embodiment has the following configuration. It is provided with a mail box 1 and an external device (mobile terminal 6) used at a position away from the mail box 1. The mail box 1 includes a mail box 2, a sensor 42, and a first communication unit 51. The sensor 42 is attached to the mail box 2 and detects environmental information around the mail box 2. The first communication unit 51 transmits the environmental information detected by the sensor 42 to the outside of the mail box 2. The external device has a second communication unit 72 that receives the environment information transmitted from the first communication unit 51. The external device is a device that executes a process based on the environment information received by the second communication unit 72. The lower surface of the mail box 2 includes an exposed portion 31 that is exposed to the outside when the mail box 2 is installed. The sensor 42 is attached to the exposed portion 31.

  In the sensor utilization system having this configuration, the sensor 42 is provided in the exposed portion 31 of the mail box 2. Therefore, the sensor 42 can be used to accurately detect outdoor environment information around the mail box 2. Further, since the sensor 42 is attached to the lower surface of the mail box 2, it is not easily affected by sunlight, rain, and the like, and also in this respect, the environmental information around the mail box 2 can be accurately detected. Further, the environment information detected by the sensor 42 is transmitted from the first communication unit 51 and received by the second communication unit 72 of the external device. Therefore, the external device can execute processing based on the environmental information detected by the sensor 42, and the external device can effectively use the environmental information detected by the sensor 42.

  The design of the mail receiver 1 and the sensor utilization system of this embodiment can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 mailbox
2 Mail box 25 Embedded part 26 Projection part 27 Bottom part 28 Fitting groove (mounting part)
31 Exposed part 42 Sensor 51 First communication part (communication part)
6 Mobile terminal (external device)
72 Second Communication Section 9 Gate Post (Installation Section)

Claims (3)

With a mailbox
A sensor attached to the mail box, which detects environmental information around the mail box,
A communication unit for transmitting the environmental information detected by the sensor to the outside of the mailbox.
The lower surface of the mail box includes an exposed portion that is exposed to the outside when the mail box is installed,
A mailbox in which the sensor is attached to the exposed portion ,
The mail box can be installed in a state where a part of the mail box in the front-back direction is embedded in the installation unit,
The mail box has a protrusion that protrudes rearward from the installation part when the part in the front-rear direction is installed in a state of being embedded in the installation part,
The lower surface of the protruding portion is the exposed portion,
A mailbox, wherein the sensor is attached to a lower surface of the protrusion . The mailbox according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the bottom of the mailbox that corresponds to the exposed portion is made of synthetic resin. With a mailbox
An external device used at a position distant from the mailbox,
The mailbox is
With a mailbox
A sensor attached to the mail box, which detects environmental information around the mail box,
A first communication unit for transmitting the environmental information detected by the sensor to the outside of the mail box,
The external device is
A second communication unit that receives the environment information transmitted from the first communication unit,
The external device is a device that executes a process based on the environment information received by the second communication unit,
The lower surface of the mail box includes an exposed portion that is exposed to the outside when the mail box is installed,
The sensor is attached to the exposed portion,
The mail box can be installed in a state where a part of the mail box in the front-back direction is embedded in the installation unit,
The mail box has a protrusion that protrudes rearward from the installation part when the part in the front-back direction is installed in a state of being embedded in the installation part,
The lower surface of the protruding portion is the exposed portion,
A sensor utilization system, wherein the sensor is attached to a lower surface of the protrusion.

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