WO2003026466A1

WO2003026466A1 - A case for receiving and keeping parcels in a theftproof manner

Info

Publication number: WO2003026466A1
Application number: PCT/DK2002/000543
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jørgen SØLUND; Lars Stentofte
Original assignee: Sòlund Exterieur Aps
Priority date: 2001-08-20
Filing date: 2002-08-20
Publication date: 2003-04-03

Abstract

A box serving for receiving and keeping parcels in a theftproof manner. The box (1) is of the kind that comprises a hinged door (2), a spring-loaded lock (5) for locking the door (2), a pivotal strike plate (6) extending over an area opposite the released pawl (8) of the spring-loaded lock (5) in a first position when the door is closed, and pivoted out of this area in a second position, an upper bottom (12) movable mainly vertically and a fixed lower botton (13) placed beneath this upper bottom, compression springs (15) acting between the two bottoms (12; 13), and a locking bar (9) which is mainly vertically displaceable for locking the strike plate (6) in its first position. A pivotal locking lever (20) is fitted between the two bottoms (12; 13), and is connected to the locking bar (9) at one end and at the other end, to a transversally extending swing axle (19) rotatably journaled in the upper bottom (12). The swing axle (19) is provided with two projecting supporting arms (22; 23), and the supporting arms (22; 23) each have a support base (24) for supporting against the lower bottom (13) when the upper bottom (12) is forced down towards the lower bottom (13) by the weight of one or more parcels placed on the upper bottom (13) by the weight of one or more parcels placed on the upper bottom (12). The locking arrangement of the box (1) is simple, inexpensive and works reliably.

Description

A case for receiving and keeping parcels in a theftproof manner

The invention relates to a box for receiving and keeping parcels in a theftproof manner and of the kind comprising a hinged door, a spring-loaded lock for locking the door, a pivotal strike plate extending over an area opposite the released locking pawl in a first position when the door is closed, and pivoted out of this area in a second position, means for affecting the strike plate with a torque acting in direction from its second to its first position, an upper bottom movable mainly vertically, a fixed lower bottom placed beneath this upper bottom, means for affecting the upper bottom with forces acting in the opposite direction of the gravitational force, and a locking bar which is mainly vertically displaceable between a first and second position and having a lower end part connected to the upper bottom and an upper end part for locking the strike plate in its first position by displacement of the locking bar.

Boxes of this kind are used by persons who want to be able to receive parcels without having to be present. The known boxes are provided with a locking arrangement allowing the door to be opened if the box is empty. But when the movable bottom is loaded by a parcel, the door of the locking arrangement is locked if the door is closed. Then, the door can only be opened by means of a key or code fitting the locking arrangement .

Thus, a messenger can deliver a parcel to the box without difficulty and protect the parcel against theft merely by closing the door. The person who owns the box or another authorised person having said key or code can then open the door and remove the parcel after which the box is ready to receive a parcel again. From the patent document PCT/DK01/00390 , which is incorporated by reference herein, is known a locking arrangement having a movable bottom which can be either pivotally hinged at the back wall of the box or positively operated in such a way that the bottom is only allowed to make translational, vertical movements .

The first mentioned embodiment is simple and inexpensive but has the disadvantage of the bottom not being weighed down into the locking position with sufficient certainty when the parcel is placed near the back wall of the box.

The last mentioned embodiment is not sensitive to the placing of the parcel on the bottom but the construction for positively operating the movable bottom is, on the other hand, complicated and expensive.

The aspect of the invention is to provide a box of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph, which is arranged with a locking arrangement that is simple, inexpensive and working reliably.

The novel and unique feature according to the invention, whereby this is achieved, is the fact that a pivotal locking lever is fitted between the two bottoms, and is connected to the lower end part of the locking bar at one end and at the other end, to a swing axle extending transversally of the locking lever and rotatably journaled in the upper bottom, that the swing axle is provided with at least one projecting supporting arm, that the supporting arm has a support base located at a distance from the swing axle, and that the support base is supporting against the lower bottom when the upper bottom is forced down towards the lower bottom by the weight of one or more parcels placed on the upper bottom. By means of this simple, inexpensive device, the locking arrangement is activated in a reliable and effective manner irrespective of the random placing of the parcel on the movable bottom. When the parcel is weighing the movable upper bottom down towards the fixed lower bottom, the support base is made to support against the last mentioned bottom. Thereby, the supporting arm will pivot the swing axle and thereby the swing arm which again will push the locking bar up or down so that the locking arrangement is activated.

The locking arrangement can function in a reliable and effective manner merely by two supporting arms being placed near each their side of two opposite sides on the bottoms, and one of these supporting arms can furthermore advantageously consist of a part of the locking lever.

If the locking lever is longer than the supporting arms, an exchange is created enabling the locking lever to activate the locking arrangement even if the upper bottom is only made to go down and/or tip a little about any axis of a parcel placed on the bottom. Thereby, the essential advantage is obtained in that the locking arrangement according to the invention is functioning in a reliable and effective manner no matter where the parcel is placed on the bottom.

If the swing axle is located under the transverse middle line of the upper bottom and the supporting arms at the middle of the upper bottom, it is advantageously avoided that the reaction force from the swing axle will tip the upper bottom when a parcel is placed in the box. At the same time, the exchange between the locking lever and the supporting arms will be sufficiently great.

In one embodiment, the swing axle can be located at a greater distance from the locking bar than the support bases of the supporting arms whereby the locking bar is pushed upwards to its locking position when the upper bottom is loaded by a parcel .

In a second embodiment, the swing axle can be located at a shorter distance from the locking bar than the support bases of the supporting arms whereby the locking bar is pushed downwards to its locking position when the upper bottom is loaded by a parcel .

To ensure the locking arrangement great sensitivity upon loading, the support bases of the supporting arms can be designed as rollers having an axis of rotation parallel to the axis of the swing axle. Thereby, the adverse friction between the support bases and the lower bottom is essentially eliminated.

When a parcel is removed from the upper bottom, this bottom has to be taken back to its initial position whereby the locking arrangement is deactivated so that the door can be opened again for example by a messenger who is to deliver a new parcel .

The forces necessary for this purpose can be provided in a simple, inexpensive manner by a plate spring acting between the two bottoms near the corners of these bottoms .

According to the invention, the upper bottom can consist of a plane, rectangular plate which e.g. can be of iron and which is reinforced along the four edges by flaps bent downward for reinforcing and strengthening the plate. Thereby, the upper bottom obtains a simple, inexpensive construction which easily can absorb the forces operating in opposite directions from both the springs and a parcel placed on the plate without being deformed. Furthermore, the downwardly bent flaps can have a vertical extent both allowing the necessary movability of the upper bottom for activation of the locking arrangement and forming a stop against the lower bottom at overload.

Furthermore, the beds for the swing axle can advantageously be designed in opposite flaps.

As mentioned earlier, the locking arrangement according to the invention can function reliably and effectively even if the upper bottom is only made to tip about any axis of a parcel placed on the bottom.

However, the connection between the locking lever and locking bar necessitates that guides are provided for being able to essentially limit the possibility of the upper bottom to move horizontally in relation to the lower bottom. At the same time, the guides must however allow the upper bottom to move vertically in relation to the lower bottom.

In an advantageous embodiment, the guides can consist of a number of e.g. four sets of cooperating pins and bushings fitting each other with a small clearance and having axes extending transversally of the respective bottoms . When the upper bottom tips because it is loaded by a parcel which is not placed in the middle of the bottom, the axes of the pins and bushings, respectively, will no longer be able to flush.

The pins and bushings are therefore dimensioned with a clearance which is exactly sufficiently large to allow free movement of the pins back and forth in the bushings at maximum tipping of the upper bottom but which furthermore is not so large that the upper bottom is allowed to move in an essentially horizontal direction in relation to the lower base. The invention will be explained in greater details below, describing an only exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawing, in which

Fig. 1 is a front view of a box according to the invention partly in section,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is on a larger scale a view of the bottom part of the box in fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 shows the box in fig. 3 rotated an angle of 90°.

In the following, the invention is described on the assumption that the box is to be used for receiving and keeping parcels in a theftproof manner, by which is meant in the meaning of the invention any object having sufficient weight to activate the locking arrangement of the box.

It is furthermore assumed that the box has a rectangular, horizontal cross section, the box though being able to have any other suitable cross section within the scope of the invention.

The box, designated in general by the reference numeral 1, is provided with a door 2 pivotally mounted on the case 3 of the box by means of hinges 4.

On the door is a spring-loaded lock 5 cooperating with a pivotal strike plate 6 fitted on the side of the casing opposite the hinges. The strike plate can pivot about an axis 7 from the first position in fig. 1 in which it is extending over the pawl 8 of the lock when the door is closed to at second position, not shown, in which it is pivoted free of this pawl.

A torsion spring (not shown) is serving for pivoting the strike plate from its second to its first position. A locking bar 9 can be displaced vertically between the upper position in fig. 1 in which the bar with an end part 10 is engaging a hole 11 in the strike plate when this plate is in its first position, and a lower position (not shown) in which said end part is pulled free of the hole whereby the door now can be opening without difficulty by the pawl of the spring-loaded lock pivoting the strike plate to its second position and then passing the pivoted strike plate.

In the box are located a vertically moveable upper bottom 12 and a fixed lower bottom 13 placed a distance below this upper bottom. In the space 14 between the two bottoms are four inclined plate springs 15 attached, in this case, to the lower bottom and supporting against the upper bottom with spring forces acting in the opposite direction of the gravitational force.

Alternatively, the plate springs can be attached on the upper bottom and support against the lower bottom.

As shown in fig. 2, the plate springs are conveniently located at the corners of the bottoms whereby they are able to outbalance the weight of a parcel placed near the edge on the bottom in the best possible way.

The lower bottom 13 consists of a plate fixedly attached in the box whereas the upper bottom 12 consists of a plate reinforced along the sides by flaps 16 extending down towards the lower bottom 13 and forming a stop against this bottom at overload. The movable upper bottom is guided by pins 17 extending vertically downward on the movable upper bottom and cooperating with bushings 18 extending upwards on the fixed lower bottom. Alternatively, the pins can be placed on the lower bottom and the bushings on the upper bottom.

As shown in fig. 2, there are four sets of pins and bushings with one set placed in each corner of the bottoms in order to thereby obtain a stable guiding of the vertical movements of the upper bottom.

Each pin can be displaced up and down in the associated bushings with a small clearance (not shown) allowing the upper bottom to tip about any axis without the pin thereby cantering and getting stuck in the bushing whereby the free movements of the upper bottom undesirably would be prevented or obstructed.

A swing axle 19 is journaled in two opposite flaps 16 of the upper bottom. On the swing axle, a transverse locking lever 20 is attached, which is pivotally connected to the locking bar 9 at the opposite end by means of a swing joint 21. See also figs. 2 and 3.

As shown in fig. 2, two transverse supporting arms 22 and 23 are furthermore attached on the swing axle. On each supporting arm, a supporting roller 24 is rotatably mounted and having an axis of rotation preferably parallel to the axis of the swing axle and supporting against the lower bottom 13 at least upon loading of the upper bottom 12.

In this case, the supporting arm 22 consists of a portion of the locking lever 20 which is located near one side of the bottoms as shown. The second supporting arm 23 is located near the opposite side of the bottoms. The two supporting arms are thus located with practically the largest possible spacing whereby it is ensured that at least one of the supporting rollers of the two supporting arms will support against the lower bottom when the upper bottom is tipping about an axis transverse of the swing axle.

Furthermore, the locking lever is longer than the supporting arms. It has been proven that the arrangement is functioning reliably and effectively if the locking lever is between 2 and 20 times, preferably between 2 and 15 times and especially between 2 and 10 times as long as the supporting arms. The relation between the lengths of the swing arm and the supporting arms represent an exchange which here is designated X.

When the upper bottom 12 is affected by the uniform load indicated by the arrows in fig. 1 and symbolizing a parcel placed in the middle of the bottom, the bottom will go down a distance Y and with it the swing axle 19.

The supporting rollers 24 supporting against the lower bottom 13 pivot the supporting arms 22 and 23 which pivot the locking lever 20 via the swing axle 19, the locking lever thereby lifting the locking bar 9 a part of a value equal to Y multiplied by X minus Y. The exchange results in that it only takes a modest movement of the upper bottom for being able to push the locking bar up into its locking position.

When the upper bottom is loaded by a parcel, the reaction force from the lower bottom will affect the supporting rollers with a force operating vertically upward that partly pivot the swing axle, partly affects this swing axis with a transverse force acting in direction of the supporting arms, and is likely to displace and/or tip the upper bottom in an undesired way.

To avoid this disadvantage, the supporting arms are placed at a relatively small angle to the upper bottom whereby the transverse force will be the smallest possible and the supporting arms in turn relatively long. To simultaneously be able to obtain a desired great exchange between the locking lever and the supporting arms, the swing axle, in the example shown, is located a distance above the middle of the upper bottom.

In a second embodiment (not shown) , the swing axle is centrally journaled in the upper bottom. This placing ensures against the reaction forces from the swing axle being able to affect the upper bottom with a moment that could pivot the bottom undesirably.

In fig. 1, the arrows illustrate an even loading of the upper bottom 12. This condition will arise when a messenger who has opened the door 2 places a parcel symbolized by the arrows shown in the middle of the upper bottom 12 which thereby will go translationally downwards. Thereby, the supporting arms

22,23 will pivot under the action of the reaction force from the pressure of the supporting rollers 24 on the lower base

13, the swing axle 19 and thereby the swing arm 20 which again will push the locking bar 9 with its upper end part 10 via the swing joint 21 up into engagement with the hole 11 in the strike plate 6 which will be pivoted into its first position about the axis 7 by the torsion spring (not shown) as the door

2 was opened.

When the messenger subsequently closes the door 2, the pawl 8 of the spring-loaded lock 5 will spring into engagement behind the strike plate 6. Then, the door 2 can only be opened by an authorised person who has a key or code for the spring-loaded lock 5.

During keeping in the box, the parcel is therefore effectively secured against theft. Only said person can remove the parcel but when this has taken place, the plate springs 15 will again lift the upper bottom up into its unloaded initial position in which the upper end part 10 of the locking bar 9 now is free of the hole 11 of the strike plate 6, and the door can then be opened without difficulty so that a messenger again can place a parcel in the box.

To safely be able to pull the locking bar 9 out of its engagement with the hole 11 of the strike plate 6, the box can furthermore be provided with a spring (not shown) for affecting the locking bar 9 with a spring force acting downward.

Fig. 3 is on a larger scale a cross section of the bottom of the box 1 in fig. 1, taken along the line II-II in fig. 1, but with a parcel, symbolized with the arrow shown, placed near the side of the box opposite the locking bar 9. The skew loading will make the upper bottom 12 tip to the position indicated by the dash-dot line. But also in this case, the swing axle 19 is taken downwards and with the same effect as described above with reference to fig. 1, namely that the strike plate 6 is locked in its first position, that is the locking position, by the locking bar 9.

Fig. 4 corresponds to the cross section in fig. 3 rotated 90° but with a parcel, symbolized with the arrow shown, placed near one of the side walls of the box 1. In the case shown, only one of the supporting levers 23 is supporting against the lower bottom 13 but the swing axle 19 is still rotated in exactly the same way as described above with reference to figs. 1 and fig. 3.

As can be seen, a messenger, for example a postman, can place the parcel in the box according to the invention at a time that is convenient to him, while the receiver or a substitute for this person can remove the parcel at a different point in time that is convenient to him. In the period between the two points in time, the parcel is effectively secured against theft.

Claims

Patent claims

1. A box (1) for receiving and keeping parcels in a theftproof manner and of the kind comprising - a hinged door (2), a spring-loaded lock (5) for locking the door (2), a pivotal strike plate (6) extending over an area opposite the released locking pawl (8) of the spring-loaded lock (5) in a first position when the door (2) is closed, and pivoted out of this area in a second position, means for affecting the strike plate (6) with a torque acting in direction from its second to its first position - an upper bottom (12) movable mainly vertically and a fixed lower bottom (13) placed beneath this upper bottom, means (15) for affecting the upper bottom (12) with forces acting in the opposite direction of the gravitational force, and a locking bar (9) which is mainly vertically displaceable between a first and second position and having a lower end part connected to the upper bottom (12) and an upper end part (10) for locking the strike plate (6) in its first position by displacement of the locking bar (9) , characterised in that a pivotal locking lever (20) is fitted between the two bottoms (12; 13), said lever being connected at one end to the lower end part of the locking part (9) and at the second end to a swing axle (19) extending transversally of the locking lever (20) and rotatably journaled in the upper bottom (12 ) , - that the swing axle (19) is provided with at least one projecting supporting arm (22; 23), that the at least one supporting arm (22,-23) has a support base (24) located at a distance from the swing axle (19), and that the support base (24) of the at least one supporting arm (22,-23) is supporting against the lower bottom (13) when the upper bottom (12) is forced down toward the lower bottom (13) by the weight of one or more parcels placed on the upper bottom (12) .

2. A box (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the locking lever (20) is longer than the at least one supporting arm (22;23).

3. A box (1) according to claims 1 or 2 , characterised in that the at least one supporting arm (22,-23) is located at a centre area on the upper bottom (12) .

4. A box (1) according to claims 1, 2, or 3 , characterised in that the swing axle (19) is located at the transverse middle line of the upper bottom (12) .

5. A box (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 4, characterised in that the swing axle (19) is located at a greater distance from the locking bar (9) than the support base (24) of the at least one supporting arm (22;23) .

6. A box (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 5, characterised in that the support base (24) of the at least one supporting arm (22; 23) consists of a roller (24) having an axis of rotation which is mainly parallel to the axis of the swing axle (19) .

7. A box (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 6, characterised in that there are two supporting arms (22,-23) located near each their side of two opposite sides on the upper bottom (12) .

A box (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 7, characterised in that the means for affecting the upper bottom with forces acting in opposite direction of the gravitational force are compression springs (15) acting between the two bottoms (12; 13) near the corners of these bottoms .

9. A box (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 8, characterised in that the two bottoms (12,-13) are controlled in relation to each other by means of guides (17,18) located at each their corner of the bottom (12; 13) corners, and each consisting of a pin (17) on one bottom (12; 13) and a bushing (18) on the other bottom

(12; 13), and that each pin (17) fits the associated bushing (18) with a clearance allowing the upper bottom

(12) to move up and down even if the axes of the pins (17) and the associated bushings (18) do not coincide.

10. A box (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 9, characterised in that downwardly extending flaps (16) having beds for the swing axle (19) are designed along two opposite sides of the upper bottom (12) .