WO2013176621A1

WO2013176621A1 - Apparatus for depositing articles for subsequent retrieval

Info

Publication number: WO2013176621A1
Application number: PCT/SG2012/000180
Authority: WO
Inventors: Seyed Amin GHORASHI SARVESTANI
Original assignee: Ghorashi Sarvestani Seyed Amin
Priority date: 2012-05-22
Filing date: 2012-05-22
Publication date: 2013-11-28

Abstract

An apparatus 100 for depositing articles for subsequent retrieval is disclosed herein. For example, the apparatus 100 may be a mailbox. In a described embodiment, the apparatus 100 comprises a plurality of storage compartments 112,114,116,118,120, a set of doors 106,108 configured to cooperate with each other and movable between a closed configuration which disallows access to the plurality of storage compartments 112,114,116,118,120 and an opened configuration which allows access to the plurality of storage compartments 112,114,116,118,120; and a control system 150 for receiving an input and for moving the set of movable doors 106,108 to the opened configuration based on the input to selectively define an access opening 138 between the set of doors for accessing a storage section 180, the storage section 180 being selected from at least one of the storage compartments 112,114,116,118,120.

Description

Apparatus for Depositing Articles for Subsequent Retrieval

Background and Field of the Invention This invention relates to an apparatus for depositing articles for subsequent retrieval; more particularly but not exclusively, depositing & picking up of parcels, goods, posts or mails.

Conventional mailboxes have one or multiple cells, each of which can be considered as separate compartments with fixed dimensions. Each cell is then assigned or registered to an owner who has access to the cell by using a key or an electronic code if the cell includes an electronic lock. Such conventional mailboxes have many restrictions and one of them is that each cell needs to have an identification of the owner in order for the postman to know to put the mail in the correct cell.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for depositing articles for subsequent retrieval, which alleviates at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art and/or to provide the public with a useful choice. Summary of the Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for depositing articles for subsequent retrieval, the apparatus comprising a plurality of storage compartments; a set of doors configured to cooperate with each other and movable between a closed configuration which disallows access to the plurality of storage compartments and an open configuration which allows access to the plurality of storage compartments; and a control system for receiving an input and for moving the set of doors to the open configuration based on the input and to selectively define an access opening between the set of doors for accessing a storage section, the storage section being selected from at least one of the storage compartments.

An advantage of the described embodiment is that by having a set of movable doors which selects a suitable storage section for an article based on the input. It provides greater flexibility and convenience to operators and users, since there is no need for a user depositing or retrieving the article to know precisely where the item is (to be) deposited. Further, each of the storage compartments comprises movable shelves so that the storage compartment is reconfigurable or resizable flexibly to a suitable size for receiving the articles. In this way, it offers appropriate compartment location and selectable size based on space availability, maximizing the usage of space for any standard size article.

Such an apparatus may be suitable as an apparatus for the local postal service, courier companies, or automation industry to deliver mail or articles as a first & last mile unattended self-service point of the logistics chain; as a general storage facility for depositing or storing goods for a period of time for retrieval later in public areas as lockers, in Transportation hubs, hotels, recreation facilities, libraries, article rentals/ vending, residential complexes, business parks , retail centers; or used by businesses or private parties for secured handovers etc. This results in a flexible and self-service solution for an unattended apparatus for depositing and picking up of parcels, goods, mails etc.

Preferably, the input includes a dimension of an article to be deposited, and the control system is configured to assign at least one of the storage compartments as the storage section based on the dimension. In the event that two (or more) of the storage compartments are assigned as the storage section, the access opening is arranged to match openings of the two (or more) storage compartments.

The input may include a unique code which is associated with the storage section. Preferably, the apparatus may further comprise a plurality of shelf members for defining the plurality of storage compartments, the shelf members being movable between an in-use position in which the shelf members are arranged for supporting the articles to be deposited and a stored position which merges at least two of the storage compartments to create a larger storage compartment.

Preferably, the shelf members are slidable. This enables the shelf members to slide backwards to create a bigger storage area for bigger articles. The control system may further comprise sensors for detecting presence of each one of the shelf members. Each shelf member may include a plurality of interlocking devices pivotably coupled togetherand-each nteriocktng-device-may omp^ hook, wherein the first end hook of a first one of plurality of the interlocking devices is configured to cooperate with a second end hook of a second one of the plurality of interlocking devices to create a pivotal connection. Each interlocking device may further comprise a set of teeth.

Preferably, the control system further comprises limit sensors for sensing a maximum travelling distance of the set of movable doors. The control system may further comprise optical sensors for detecting obstructions to the movement of the set of movable doors in the open configuration.

The apparatus may further comprise a lock mechanism arranged to lock the set of doors in the closed configuration. The lock mechanism may further be arranged to prevent movement of the set of movable doors in the open configuration. Preferably, when in the opened configuration, the control system is configured to move the set of movable doors to the closed configuration after a predetermined time duration. The set of doors may include two opposing door members which are slidabie relative to each other. The set of doors may include a plurality of interlocking devices pivotably coupled together, each interlocking device comprising a first end hook, a second end hook, and a set of teeth for mating with a door gear for driving the movement of the set of doors, wherein the first end hook of a first one of plurality of the interlocking devices is configured to cooperate with a second end hook of a second one of the plurality of interlocking devices to create a pivotal connection.

As an example, the apparatus may be in the form of a mailbox.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of operating an apparatus for depositing articles for subsequent retrieval, the apparatus comprising a plurality of storage compartments and a set of doors configured to cooperate with each other and movable between a closed configuration which disallows access to the plurality of storage compartments and an opened configuration which allows access to the plurality of storage compartments, the method comprising

(i) receiving an input; (ii) moving the set of doors to the open configuration based on the-input-to-a-storage-seetion-which-is^{^}selected-from-at-least one^~of the^~storage^~ compartments; and (iii) creating an access opening between the set of doors for accessing the storage section.

The input may be a required compartment size for an article to be deposited, and the method may include assigning at least one of the storage compartments as the storage section based on the dimension.

The method may further comprise, when in the opened configuration, closing the set of doors after a predetermined duration. The storage section may match two or more of the storage compartments.

Preferably, the method further comprises detecting removal of a shelf member dividing two of the storage compartments, and updating a memory of the reconfiguration. The input may include a unique code which is associated with the storage section, and the method includes determining the associated storage section based on the unique code, and moving the doors to define the access opening to match the associated storage section. Moving the set of doors may include sliding two opposing doors relative to each other. It should be appreciated that features relating to one aspect may also be applicable to the other aspect.

Brief Description of the Drawings Examples of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of an apparatus for storing articles for subsequent retrieval having a set of doors which are opened, according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 1 with a side wall shown as transparent to illustrate internal configuration of the apparatus;

Figure 3 is an interlocking device which is used to form the door of Figure 1 ; Figure 4 shows how two like interlocking devices of Figure 3 are connected together to form the door of Figure 1 ; Figure 5 shows how a door of the apparatus of Figure 1 is driven by a gear to move;

Figure 6 shows a side profile of a guide rail of the apparatus of Figure 1 for guiding the movement of the set of doors;

Figure 7 is a block diagram of a control system for the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

Figure 8 is a further view of Figure 2 to illustrate configurability of the storage space of the apparatus;

Figure 9 shows the apparatus of Figure 2 illustrating a plurality of optical sensors; and

Figure 10 shows two of the apparatus of Figure 1 being arranged in a row.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments Figure 1 is a front view of an apparatus 100 for depositing articles for subsequent retrieval according to an embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus 100 of Figure 1 .

The apparatus 100 includes a cabinet-like body 102 defining a storage space 104 for storing articles such as mails or parcels. The cabinet-like body 102 is formed by two side walls 102a, 102b which define height Ή' and depth 'D' of the apparatus 100, a back wall 102c which defines the width 'W (and height H) of the apparatus 100, top and bottom walls 102d,102e with a front 102f of the cabinet body 102 open for access to the storage space 104. The apparatus 100 has a set of movable doors for closing the front 102f of the cabinet body and in this embodiment, the set of doors include an upper door 106 and a lower door 108. The upper and lower doors 106,108 include a plurality of interlocking device 07 joined together lengthwise to form a larger panel and to enable the doors to bend and follow the contour of a pair of guide rails 122,123. Each upper and lower door 106,108 includes a leading edge 134,136 and a trailing edge (not shown) with the distance between the leading edges 134,136 defining an access opening 138 for access to the storage space 104. The size of the access opening 138 is variable depending on how much space is needed to store an item and this will be apparent later. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the interlocking device 107 when connected to like interlocking devices are arranged to form the upper and lower doors 106,108. In this embodiment, the interlocking device 107 is extruded from aluminum and has a body 200. At an inner side 202 of the body 200, the interlocking device 107 includes a series of teeth 204 and an outer surface 206 of the body 200 is relatively flat. The interlocking device 107 has a first end hook member 208 extending outwards from the outer surface 206 and curling upwards in the direction of the inner side 202. The interlocking device 107 has a second end hook member 210 extending outwards from the inner side 202 and curling downwards in the direction of the outer surface 206. In this configuration, the first end hook member 208 of the interlocking device 107 is arranged to mate or interlock with a corresponding second end hook member of a like interlocking device. Likewise, the second end hook member 210 of the interlocking device 107 is arranged to interlock with a corresponding first end hook member of a like interlocking device.

Figure 4 illustrates how two like interlocking devices 107 are connected together and like parts of the second interlocking device 1 107 are referred to using the same reference numerals with the addition of 1000.

To connect two like interlocking devices 107, 1 107 together, the first and second interlocking devices 107,1 107 are placed next to each other with the second end hook member 210 of the first interlocking device 107 aligned with the first end hook member 1208 of the second interlocking device 1 107. Next, the first end hook member 1208 slides inwards from the side to engage with the second end hook member 210 much like a dovetail joint. When engaged, the first end hook member 1208 of the second interlocking device 1107 cooperates with the second end hook member 210 of the first interlocking device 107 to prevent both interlocking devices 107,1 107 from being pulled apart (i.e. lengthwise direction) and creates a pivotal connection. In other words, the engagement between the first end hook member 1208 and the second end hook member 210 enables relative movement or flexing so that the first interlocking device 107 is rotatable about the engagement with respect to the second interlocking device 1 107.

As shown in Figure 4, when connected, the series of teeth 204,1204 of the first and second interlocking devices 107,1 07 are aligned to form a track of teeth for engaging with a corresponding gear for driving the door 106,108. Likewise, the outer surfaces 206,1206 of the interlocking devices 107,1 107 are also aligned which provides a neat facade for the apparatus 100. As shown in Figure 2, the apparatus 100 includes a number of shelf members 1 10 arranged horizontally and spaced one on top of another along a vertical axis of the apparatus 100 to divide the storage space 104 into a plurality of storage compartments. In this embodiment, the storage compartment comprises first, second to the fifth storage compartments 1 12, 1 14,1 16, 18,120.

In this embodiment, the upper and lower doors 106,108 are slidable along the pair of guide rails 122,123. Figure 6 is a side profile of one of the guide rails 122 which is the one on the right hand side of Figure 2 as seen from the inside of the apparatus 100 outwards.-The guide rail 122 includes an elongate track 124 configured in a general rectangle structure with two ends 126,128 of the elongate track 124 offset from each other. With the guide rail 122 mounted to one of the side walls 102b, the upper and lower doors 106,108 engage the (same) track 124 to facilitate the sliding and relative movement. Specifically, the upper door 106 is arranged to slide mostly along a top section 130 of the guide rail 122 (direction "A" of Figure 2) and the lower door 108 is arranged to slide mostly along a lower section 132 of the guide rail 122 (direction "B" of Figure 2) with the ends 126, 28 of the track 124 arranged to be next to the back wall 102c of the apparatus 100.

To close the apparatus 100, the upper door 106 is arranged to slide towards the lower door 108 and the lower door 108 is arranged to slide towards the upper door 106 so that both doors 106,108 travel along a same axis and meet at the front 102f of the apparatus 100. In the closed configuration, access to the storage compartments 1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120 is not possible. It should be appreciated that to close the apparatus 100, it is also possible to keep one door stationary and move the other door until both doors meet at the front of the apparatus 100.

To open the apparatus 100, the upper door 106 and/or the lower door 108 is retracted along the guide rails 122,123 toward the ends 126,128 of the track 124 to provide access to the plurality of storage compartmentsl 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120. It should be appreciated that due to the offset between the two ends 126,128, near the back wall 102c of the apparatus 100, the upper door 106 and the lower door 108 move in parallel but along different vertical axes (as shown in Figure 6) so the trailing edges of the doors 106,108 do not collide with each other and enable the doors 106,108 to move ireely to-provide-aeGess o-any-oMhe storage-Gompartments- -2_y-144~1-16_?-1-18y -20_T The movement of the upper and lower doors 106,108 is controlled electrically by a control system 150 and Figure 7 is a block diagram of the control system 150. In this embodiment, the control system 150 includes a user interface 152, a processor 154, door motors 156 for moving the upper and lower doors 106,108, shelf sensors 158, encoder 160 and limit sensors 162.

The door motors 156 are arranged to operate the upper and lower doors 106,108 along the guide rails 122,124 to enable the doors 106,108 to move or slide to desired positions as controlled by the processor 154. Specifically, one of the door motors 156 is placed near the top wall 102d of the apparatus 100 and is arranged to drive the movement of the upper door 106. Another one of the door motors 156 is placed near the bottom wall 102e of the apparatus 100 for driving the lower door's movement. The door motors 156 are arranged to drive the upper and lower doors 106,108 via upper and lower gear arrangements 250,252.

Figure 2 shows an upper door gear 254 of the upper gear arrangement 250 and it should be appreciated that another door gear is hidden from view. A lower door gear

256 of the lower gear arrangement 252 is also shown in Figure 2 with the other door

v gear hidden from view. Since the way the upper and lower gear arrangements 250,252 engage the respective doors are similar, an explanation of how the gear arrangement 250,252 operates will be discussed with reference to Figure 5 which shows the upper door gear 254 arranged to drive the upper door 106. As discussed earlier, the upper door 106 includes the plurality of interlocking devices 107 interlocked together to form an assembly for the upper door 106. The upper door gear 254 is arranged to mate with the track of teeth of the inner side of each of the interlocking device 107 and when the upper door gear 254 turns, this moves the interlocking devices 107 and thus, the upper door 106. It should be appreciated from Figure 5 that each of the interlocking device 107 has a thin profile of about 10mm in thickness or height, and length of 19mm along the outer surface 206 of the interlocking device 107. Since the connection between interlocking devices 107 allows relative rotation about the axis of connection, it can be appreciated from Figure 5 that this enables the upper door 06 to bend as the upper door 106 is caused to move along the guide rails 122,123. The door motors 156 are bi-directional motors which rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise directions to move the upper door 106 and the lower door 108 upwards and/or downwards in the directions of arrows A and B in Figure 1 . By controlling the direction of movement of the doors 106,108 and the travelled distance, it is possible to adjust the location and size of the access opening 138 between the upper and lower doors 106,108. The size of the access opening 138 may take values from "0" to a "maximum value" which may be equal to the height H of the cabinet-like body 102 of the apparatus 100. If the size of the access opening 138 takes a value of "0", the apparatus 100 is completely closed and access to the storage compartments is denied. If the access opening 138 takes the "maximum value", all the storage compartments 1 12,1 4,1 16,1 18,120 (i.e. the entire storage space 04) are accessible. For safety and security for the apparatus 100, the processor 154 is arranged to control activation of a locking mechanism 178. The locking mechanism 178 includes a magnetic switch (not shown) for locking the gear arrangements 250,252 (between the doors 106,108 and the door motors 156) to prevent the upper and lower doors 106,108 from moving for example, when the doors 106,108 are opened. This is in addition to stopping the movement of the door motors 156. With the magnetic switch activated, this prevents someone from trying to force the opened doors 106,108 further apart to gain access to the other storage compartments.

The locking mechanism 78 further includes a mechanical lock which is activated also by the processor 154 when the upper and lower doors 06,108 are closed. In other words, the mechanical lock is arranged to lock the upper and lower doors 106,108 to each other in the closed configuration. This is useful to prevent unauthorized access from someone trying to force open the closed upper and lower doors 106,108. Further, since the mechanical lock does not need electricity to keep it locked, this means that even when there is a power failure, the apparatus 100 would remain locked.

In order to control the access to the storage compartments 1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120, positions of the sliding doors need to be known. This is achieved by using encoders 160 that are attached to the motors 156. Since the locations of the storage compartments 1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120 are fixed, by knowing the initial position of the doors-1-06r108HHs-possible te-know-preeise-locations-of the upper-and-|ower-doorsr ln^~ this case, using the data received from the user interface 152 and output from the encoder 160, the processor 154 sends the proper messages to the motors 156 to move or stop in the right timings. As shown in Figure 2, there are four shelf members 1 10 to create five storage compartments 1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120. Each of the four shelf members 1 10 are movable (or removable and replaceable) to create larger or smaller storage sections 180 from at least one of the storage compartments 1 10,1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120. In Figure 2, each of the shelf members 1 10 are in the "in use" or support positions since items may be placed on top of each shelf members 1 10.

In this embodiment, the shelf members 1 10 has a similar structure as the upper or lower doors 106,108 i.e. formed from a plurality of interlocking devices 107 connected together as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The sides of the shelf members 1 10 are received within corresponding shelf guiding rails 280 to enable each shelf member 1 10 to slide between a first position in which the shelf member is arranged to define the storage compartments 1 10,1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120 and a second position in which the shelf member is arranged not to be used (or not "in use") and is retracted and stored near the back wall 102c to create a bigger storage space.

As shown in Figure 2, the four shelf members 1 10 include a third shelf member 1 10' from the top. By default, each of the storage compartments 1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120 are defined as individual and separate storage sections which mean that the apparatus 100 has five storage sections by default. Each of the four shelf members 1 0 are movable and as shown in Figure 8, the third shelf member 1 10' is pushed back towards the back wall 102c along the shelf guiding rails 280 to create a larger storage section 180 which is a combination of the third and fourth compartments 116,1 8. In this way, the storage space 104 is reconfigurable to create storage sections of varying sizes to achieve greater flexibility to maximize the space of the apparatus 100.

The processor 154 is configured to determine which shelf members 1 10 have been push backwards from data received from the shelf sensors 158. The shelf sensors 158 include micro-switches (not shown) placed to detect presence of the shelf boards. Specifically, the micro-switches may be placed along the shelf guiding rails 280 to detect presence of the shelf members 1 10 when the shelf members are in the "in use" positions^-The-miere-switehes-deteeMhe-presenee-of-the-shelf-members -4-10 and-sends- this information to the processor 154 for processing. Based on the information, the processor 154 determines whether a shelf board 1 10 is present in a designated location and thus, the number of storage compartments 1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120 being configured. To elaborate, if the processor 154 detects that one of the shelf members 1 10 is missing (for example, the third shelf board 1 10' is pushed back), the processor 154 would record this information and that two of the storage compartments have been combined to form the storage section 180. With the dimension of the storage compartments known, and the information of the location (or none of) the shelf members 1 10, appropriate control of the movement and position of the upper and lower doors 106,108 is possible.

There are two limit sensors 162, one placed at the top wall 102d of the cabinet-like body 102 near the front 102f in order to detect the upper door 106, and another placed at the bottom wall 102e of the cabinet-like body 102 also near the front 102f to detect the lower door 108. The positions of the limit sensors 162 are shown in Figure 2. The limit sensors 162 are configured to detect the respective leading edges 134,136 of the upper and lower doors 106,108 when the upper and lower doors 106,108 are opened. When the limit sensors 162 detect the presence of one or both of the leading edges 134,136, the limit sensors 162 sends a signal to the processor 154 to indicate that the upper and/or lower door 106,108 has reach its limit and should not be retracted further down the track 124. The processor 154 is then configured to send a command to the motors 156 to stop further movement of the upper and lower doors 106,108.

It is preferred for the apparatus 100 to detect any obstacle or obstruction that is preventing the upper and/or lower doors 106,108 to move and thus, in this embodiment, the upper and lower doors has pairs of optical sensors 172 comprising infrared transmitters and receivers attached along the leading edges 134,136 of the doors 106,108. When the "line of sight" between pairs of the sensors is obstructed such as that shown in Figure 9, this indicates an obstacle at the front 102f of the apparatus 100 which may be due to a user depositing or retrieving an item 300, the item being taken out of the storage compartment or foreign objects placed at the edge of the shelf boards 1 10 which is obstructing the normal movement of the upper and/or lower doors 106,108. When the optical sensors 172 detects an obstacle, the optical sensors 172 send a signal to the processor 154 and the processor 154 is arranged to stop the movement of the motors 156 and thus, further movement of the upper and lower doors 106,108. As a security feature, the processor 154 monitors the time duration during which the upper and lower doors 106,108 are opened (which is detected through the encoders 160). If the doors 106,108 are opened for more than a predefined time duration, an alarm goes off and a warning message may be sent to a central office monitoring the apparatus 100.

As a further security feature, the apparatus may be supported by a backup power supply (for example, a battery or uninterruptible power supply - UPS) to reduce situations of the apparatus 100 losing power. In the unfortunate event that the apparatus 100 loses power, the processor 154 is configured to rely on the backup power supply to force the upper and lower doors 106,108 to a default closed position and activate the mechanical lock to lock both doors 106,108 in the closed position. The user interface 152 (see Figure 2) is mounted at the top of the cabinet-like body 102 and the user interface 152 includes touch screen functions (or keypads) for a user to input details. For example, the user may be a mailman or postman and the postman uses the user interface 152 to input size of the mail or item to be deposited in the apparatus 100. Dimensions (e.g. height, depth and width, or weight which the storage compartment can support) of each of the storage compartments 1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120 are stored in a memory 164 of the control system 150 and based on the size requested, the apparatus 100 (i.e. the processor 154) allocates a storage section 180 for the item which is selected from at least one of the storage compartments 1 12,1 ,1 6, 18,120. As an alternative, if the mail or item includes a barcode representing information regarding the item to be deposited, the user merely scans the barcode to transfer the information to the control system 150 (and the user interface 152 may thus include a barcode scanner).

Assuming that any of the storage compartments 1 2,1 14,1 16,1 18, 20 can accommodate the size of the item, the processor 154 allocates the first storage compartment 1 12 as the storage section 180 to the postman and in this case the storage section is exactly the same as the first storage compartment. The processor 154 then controls the door motors 156 to move the upper and lower doors 106,108, in concert and in the closed configuration. During the movement of the upper and lower doors 106,108, the encoder 160 provides feedback to the processor 154 to identify the loeation-oHhe-upper-and-lowerctoors-1 154 is able to control the door motors 156 to move the upper and lower doors 106,108 so that the leading edges 134,136 of the upper and lower doors 106,108 are about centre of the first storage compartment 1 12. The processor 154 next unlocks the mechanical lock and drives the door motors 156 to retract the upper and lower doors 106,108 to create an access opening 138 which matches the opening of the storage section (i.e. the first storage compartment 1 12). In other words, the leading edge 134 of the upper door 106 would stop near the top wall 102d of the apparatus 100 and the leading edge 136 of the lower door 108 would stop near the topmost shelf member 1 10 which defines the first storage compartment 1 12. In this way, only the corresponding storage compartment 1 12 is accessible and the rest of the storage compartments 1 14,1 16,1 18,120 are not accessible. In this open configuration, the processor 154 stops the movement of the door motors 156 and also activates the magnetic switch of the locking mechanism 178 to lock the upper and lower doors 106,108 in place to prevent unauthorized access to the other compartments or prevent the doors 106,108 from moving accidentally.

The postman next places the item into the first storage compartment 1 12 and activates the user interface 152 for the doors 106,108 to close. The processor 154 receives this information, activates the mechanical lock to secure the doors 106,108 and transmits a corresponding message to a central registry which controls a number of such apparatuses 100. The central registry next generates a unique code or identifier which is sent to the control system 150 and is stored in the memory 164 in association with the location of the item i.e. the first storage compartment 1 12 . It should be mentioned that the apparatus 100 may be communicatively coupled to the central registry by internet or private network using GPRS/SG medium or other networks such as fiber.

Further, the central registry generates security information including the unique code and sends a notification comprising the security information to the recipient of the item so that the item may be retrieved by the recipient. The notification may be sent by way of SMS to a mobile phone of the recipient, electronic mail or other suitable means.

As it can be appreciated, the recipient may pick up the item at his/her convenience and not be restricted to opening or closing times of traditional mail counters, such as post offices. When the recipient arrives at the apparatus 100, the recipient uses the user interfaGe-1-52-to-input-the-unique-eode_^On-Feeeipt^~of--the-unique code- from -the-user- interface 152, the processor 154 checks the memory 164 for the associated storage section which is the first storage compartment 1 12 and the processor 154 then moves the upper and lower doors 106,108 in a similar manner as previously explained, to the first storage compartment 1 12. The upper and lower doors 106,108 are next opened to create the access opening 138 for the recipient to access the storage section 180 holding the deposited item and in this case, the storage section 180 is the first storage compartment 1 12 (but access is not allowed to the other storage compartments). The recipient retrieves the item and indicates to the user interface 152 to close the upper and lower doors 106,108. If the recipient overlooks to close the doors, the processor 154 would control the doors 106,108 to close after the time duration, as explained earlier.

As it can be appreciated, the apparatus 100 provides great flexibility and convenience to delivery companies and merchants as well as to recipients.

In the event that an article to be stored is greater than the size of the storage compartments 1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120, for example, requiring twice the size of the default storage compartments 1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120, the processor 154 controls the door motors 156 to move the upper and lower doors 106,08 to create an access opening 138 which is matched to the openings of two of the storage compartments, for example the third and fourth storage compartments 1 16,1 18 (and referring to Figure 8). The postman next removes the shelf member 1 10' separating the third and fourth storage compartments 1 16,1 18 to create the storage section 180 which is twice the size of the default storage compartments 1 16,1 18 and places the article into the storage section 180. The removal of the shelf member 1 10' is detected by the shelf sensors 158 which informs the processor 154 so that the processor 154 may record the reconfiguration.

Subsequent steps are similar to what has been explained earlier i.e. the central system generates a unique code which is associated with the reconfigured storage area 180 by the processor and sends the unique code to the recipient. To retrieve the item, the recipient inputs the unique code for the apparatus 100 to open to allow the recipient to gain access to the storage section 180 and not the rest of the compartments 1 12,1 14,120. As it can be appreciated, the access opening 138 is variable to cater to different size articles and the configuration of the storage compartments. This provides great flexibility and convenience to users of the apparatus. Further advantages of the described embodiment may include:

• Access to each and every storage compartment 1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120 is easily achieved by a pair of sliding doors mechanism i.e. the upper and lower doors 106,108.

· The structure may be configured to be more resistant against vandalism, since the upper and sliding doors may be made more solid compared to the normal apparatuses where each apparatus has its own door and costs would be high to change the structure of each door of the apparatus.

• Failure of the apparatus 100 is minimised due to simple mechanical

mechanisms to operate the apparatus 100 which also reduces the number of doors to operate the apparatus 100.

• The maintenance cost is minimized as well for above reason.

• The dimensions of each storage compartment 1 12,1 14,1 16,1 18,120 may be flexibly changed or reconfigured as desired in order to match the size of the article to be stored.

• The assignment of storage compartments to the customers is flexible and

programmable for any available storage compartment at the time and there is no pre-assignment needed.

• The recipient may easily retrieves his/her article by entering the unique code provided to him/her to allow her to gain access to the storage compartment associated with the unique code. It is not necessary for the recipient to know which position in the apparatus 100 the article is stored in.

Such an apparatus 100 has many applications and uses, not just as mailbox. For example, the apparatus 100 may be used for

(i) sending and receiving courier, express and postal shipments;

(ii) depositing or storing goods for a period of time;

(iii) secured handover of items for private or business purposes;

(iv) document handover;

(v) 24/7 shopping counter for certain stores (laundry...); (vi) handling shipments from eCommerce platforms like Amazon™ and Ebay™ and depositing the items in the apparatus for self-collection by the recipient/purchaser;

(vii) library uses (for return of books), DVD rental terminals, etc The apparatus 100 may be placed in many places:

(i) public areas

(ii) petrol/gas stations

(iii) supermarkets

(iv) malls

(v) metro, Airports or any transport stations

(vi) compounds or residential or commercial offices

(vii) health Clubs

(viii) hotels etc. Indeed, a plurality of the apparatus 100 may be arranged in a line or row to increase the capacity of depositing or storing articles. In this manner, the user interface 152 may be located in a more central manner such as that shown in Figure 10, which shows two of the apparatus 100 arranged in a row and having a common user interface 152 for interfacing with either apparatus 00. To maximise the use of space, further apparatus 400 may be deployed which works in a similar manner as the apparatus 100 but smaller in capacity.

It should be appreciated that the user interface 152 may be expanded to include other ancillary functions such as self-service kiosk for postal services (such as sale of stamps), Point-of-Sale terminal for credit facilities, cash/money dispensers (such as ATM) etc.

The described embodiments are not to be construed as limitative. For example, the apparatus 100 (or in general, the apparatus) may be oriented such that the shelf members 1 10 are arranged vertically (instead of horizontally) to create vertically accessible storage compartments (which may be useful in some applications, hanging of laundry for retrieval or collection). In this case, the set of doors may be arranged to open or close in a "horizontal" manner. It is envisaged that only one of the guide rails 122,124 is needed although two guide rails are preferred. Further, the number of (default) storage compartments may be adjusted according to application. Instead of five-storage compartmerts—there-can-be-more-or-less^and-the-size-and-shape-oithe- compartments may be adjusted accordingly. In other words, the number of shelf members 1 10 may vary too.

In the described embodiment, the upper and lower doors 106, 08 meet at the front of the apparatus 100 to close the apparatus 100. However, it is possible that the upper and lower doors 106,108 overlap each other at the front i.e. travel on two parallel but separate axes similar to the ends 126,128.

Also, the set of doors is not restricted to the slidable upper and lower doors 106,108 and may include other suitable movable doors.

Further, the recipient of the item deposited in the apparatus 100 may be given a specific time frame to collect the item perhaps at no charge, and a further time limit perhaps at a charge. For example, the recipient may be informed that the item should be collected within 7 days and beyond, that a charge of $1 per day might be imposed to encourage collection of the deposited item. Also, the recipient might be warned that if the item is not collected before the further time limit, the item might be returned to the sender. In such a case, the control system 150 may trigger the central registry that the item has not been collected. The central office may then inform the sender accordingly and/or retrieve the item for delivery back to the sender.

In the described embodiment, slidable shelf members 1 10 are proposed but it is envisaged that the shelf members 1 10 may simply be planar supports (such as wooden planks) which are removable from the apparatus 100 to expand the storage space. Needless to say, the shelf members 1 10 may then be placed back to the apparatus 100 when the expanded storage space is no longer needed. Further, the slidable shelf members 1 10 may be motorized similar to the configuration of the upper and lower doors 106,108. Having now fully described the invention, it should be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications can be made hereto without departing from the scope as claimed.

Claims

1 . Apparatus for depositing articles for subsequent retrieval, the apparatus comprising

a plurality of storage compartments;

a set of doors configured to cooperate with each other and movable between a closed configuration which disallows access to the plurality of storage compartments and an opened configuration which allows access to the plurality of storage

compartments; and

a control system for receiving an input and for moving the set of doors to the open configuration based on the input and to selectively define an access opening between the set of doors for accessing a storage section, the storage section being selected from at least one of the storage compartments.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the input includes a dimension of an article to be deposited, and the control system is configured to assign at least one of the storage compartments as the storage section based on the dimension.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein two of the storage compartments are assigned as the storage section, and wherein the access opening arranged to match openings of the two storage compartments.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the input includes a unique code which is associated with the storage section.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a plurality of shelf members for defining the plurality of storage compartments, the shelf members being movable between an in-use position in which the shelf members are arranged for supporting the articles to be deposited and a stored position which merges at least two of the storage compartments to create a larger storage compartment.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the shelf members are slidable.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the control system further comprises sensors for detecting presence of each one of the shelf members.

8. Apparatus according to any of claims 5-7, wherein each shelf member includes a plurality of interlocking devices pivotably coupled together, each interlocking device comprising a first end hook and a second end hook, wherein the first end hook of a first one of plurality of the interlocking devices is configured to cooperate with a second end hook of a second one of the plurality of interlocking devices to create a pivotal connection.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each interlocking device further comprises a set of teeth.

10. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the control system further comprises limit sensors for sensing a maximum travelling distance of the set of movable doors.

1 1 . Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the control system further comprises optical sensors for detecting obstructions to the movement of the set of movable doors in the open configuration.

12. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a lock mechanism arranged to lock the set of doors in the closed configuration.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the lock mechanism is further arranged to prevent movement of the set of movable doors in the open configuration.

14. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein, when in the opened configuration, the control system is configured to move the set of movable doors to the closed configuration after a predetermined time duration.

15. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the set of doors includes two opposing door members which are slidable relative to each other.

16. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the set of doors includes a plurality of interlocking devices pivotably coupled together, each interlocking device comprising a first end hook, a second end hook, and a set of teeth for mating with a door gear for driving the movement of the set of doors, wherein the first end hook of a first-one of-plurality-oHhe-interloeking-devicesHs^{^}configured to-eooperate with-a-seeond- end hook of a second one of the plurality of interlocking devices to create a pivotal connection.

17. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in the form of a mailbox.

18. Method of operating an apparatus for depositing articles for subsequent retrieval, the apparatus comprising a plurality of storage compartments and a set of doors configured to cooperate with each other and movable between a closed configuration which disallows access to the plurality of storage compartments and an opened configuration which allows access to the plurality of storage compartments, the method comprising

receiving an input;

moving the set of doors to the open configuration based on the input to a storage section which is selected from at least one of the storage compartments; and creating an access opening between the set of doors for accessing the storage section.

19. Method according to claim 18, wherein the input is a required compartment size for an article to be deposited, and the method includes assigning at least one of the storage compartments as the storage section based on the dimension.

20. Method according to claim 18 or 19, further comprising, when in the opened configuration, closing the set of doors after a predetermined duration.

21 . Method according to any of claims 18 to 20, wherein the storage section matches two or more of the storage compartments.

22. Method according to any of claims 18 to 21 , further comprising detecting removal of a shelf member dividing two of the storage compartments, and updating a memory of the reconfiguration.

23. Method according to any of claims 18 to 22, wherein the input includes a unique code which is associated with the storage section, and the method includes determining the associated storage section based on the unique code, and moving the doors to define the access opening to match the associated storage section.

24. Method according to any of claims 18 to 23, wherein moving the set of doors includes sliding two opposing doors relative to each other.