Aerial roof height item receiving chute

Abstract

An aerial roof height item receiving structure demonstrating novel solutions to issues of item drop damage, noise, aesthetic, weather, item temperature, and safety concerns related to aerial based item delivery systems is presented. A chimney like chute can be made high enough to avoid collisions with people or pets yet still safely receive items dropped into it from heights through the use of impact absorbing pads and a mesh box spring within the chute. Heat exchange with the building structure or active heating or cooling of the box spring mitigate snow, ice, and item temperature issues. A swing door to function as an aerial unit charging platform for added distance delivery can be added to the top of the chute. An item drop box placed at human accessible height can also be added to allow the chute to dual function for traditional item deliveries.

Claims

1. A chute comprising of: impact absorbing pads spaced to prevent large unimpeded falls; wherein impact absorbing pads allow for an item to be further dropped from said pads either onto another pad or bottom of the chute wherein said impact absorbing pads have mechanisms on them to assist them to flex or rotate to release an item on them; wherein the mechanism is a simple rope system mechanism is attached to the impact absorbing pad allowing the impact absorbing pad to be tugged down if items get stuck on the pad.

2. A chute comprising of: impact absorbing pads spaced to prevent large unimpeded falls; wherein impact absorbing pads allow for an item to be further dropped from said pads either onto another pad or bottom of the chute; wherein floor of chute is slightly angled and further comprised of netted mesh drainage holes to allow for rain, snow, and ice runoff but keep animals out.

3. A chute comprising of: impact absorbing pads spaced to prevent large unimpeded falls; wherein impact absorbing pads allow for an item to be further dropped from said pads either onto another pad or bottom of the chute; wherein bottom of chute comprises of a door for item retrieval with a crack open latch to allow for heat transfer from the structure the chute is attached to if conditions such as a need to melt snow and ice exist or expected items desire a temperature more close to what the chute is attached to.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 depicts semi-transparent angled perspective views of an example of chute being attached to an existing building structure at ground level 101 and an example at the second story level 102.

(2) FIG. 2 depicts a semi-transparent front perspective view of one example of chute inside door access 201 to retrieve items from an existing room inside a building structure.

(3) FIG. 3 depicts a semi-transparent near isometric angled parallel perspective view of the chute.

(4) FIG. 4 depicts a side view of one example of a flexible version 307 of impact absorbing pads in the chute and a side view of one example of a rotating swing door version 401 of impact absorbing pads in the chute.

(5) FIG. 5 depicts an isometric view of one example of a netted mesh box spring where items can rest on prior to retrieval from the chute.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) Aerial delivery unit refers to any height based item delivery system such as drones or parachutes.

(7) Item can refer to boxed packages or anything that can withstand small drops. The plural form, items, is assumed is cases where it is an obvious extension to functionality.

(8) The chute structure can be constructed or placed in various configurations. It can be stand alone, be attached to existing building structures, be installed like a sky roof within building structures, or designed into the blueprints of new building structures. It can extend to any floor level including basement levels. FIG. 1 shows an example of a side installation onto a building 101 and an example of a second story side installation 102. FIG. 2 shows an example of inside door access 201 to the chute structure to retrieve items. The chute wall material can be anything that can withstand environmental conditions it is placed in, can bear the weight of elements placed in it, have an inside surface which would not cause items to get stuck to them, and meets building codes. The inside surface can also be a padded material to further reduce the chances of item damage. Budget installations can use an airy thin material design which does not need strong wind resistance while installations where aesthetics are important can match the material and facade of the building structure.

(9) The chute's height would be determined by safety, noise, and government regulations concerning aerial delivery units. It would be expected to be above human height to reduce chances of collisions resulting in injury. Current USA FAA regulations concerning line of sight for aerial units would also effect chute height and positioning.

(10) FIG. 3 depicts a semi transparent near isometric angled parallel perspective view of the chute with the angle chosen to better show more of the interior of the chute. Brackets 303,303a,303b,303c can be used to attach the chute to existing building structures. The chute can be equipped with a foam based siding 305 to handle attaching to uneven walls or siding.

(11) The top of the chute can have angled surfaces 302 as a bird nest deterrent.

(12) To handle water runoff, the floor of the chute can be slightly angled with netted mesh drainage holes added 304b to prevent animals from entering but allowing water to flow out. Netted mesh holes in the chute can also be used to provide more air flow 304a to prevent suffocation if a person enters the chute.

(13) The chute can be equipped at the top with a charging platform 306 based on a motor controlled swing door for the aerial unit to rest on while charging. This can handle situations where the aerial unit needs to recharge before making the return trip thereby extending the capable delivery range. The platform can be slightly angled and heated or cooled to deal with snow and ice buildup or temperature requirements of the aerial unit while charging. Netted mesh side drainage holes 304 would allow for rain, snow, and ice runoff while the swing door is closed.

(14) The chute can be equipped with an electrical conduit 311 for powering items such as beacons 301, charging platforms 306, lighting, animal repellents, and heating units.

(15) The chute can be equipped with a human height appropriate drop box 310 to also function for non-aerial deliveries. A pad can be placed right below the drop box 307c to act as a theft deterrent.

(16) The chute can be equipped with a door for item retrieval 201. The door can have a chain or swing bar door guard 202 and a door stopper 204 to allow it to be cracked open and function to provide heat transfer from the structure the chute is attached to if conditions such as a need to melt snow and ice exist or expected items desire a temperature more close to what the chute is attached to. The door can also be equipped with a transparent window 203 to allow a person to see if a item is waiting inside without needing to open the door.

(17) The aerial unit would release items above the chute. To minimize item fall impact damage, impact absorbing pads would be spaced out in the chute 307,307a,307b,307c. The placement would depend on the weight of the expected items dropped in the chute and impact absorbing capabilities of the chosen pads. There are many impact absorbing materials on the market; from relatively cheap urethane rubber to proprietary materials. A 1 ft cubed 50 lb item dropped from a height of 5 ft would have a kinetic energy of 250 ft*lbs when reaching a pad. A pad with a 1 in deflection capability would reduce the impact force to 2996 lbf. Exact needs would depend on dimensions, weight, and protection the item itself has from impact damage.

(18) Various configurations for the impact absorbing pads (FIG. 4) are possible. Ideally after dampening the fall velocity of the item, the pad would allow the item to keep falling either to a lower pad or mesh box spring 313 at the bottom of the chute. To reduce stuck items on them, they can be flexible, slopped, made of slippery material, use roller balls or beams, and/or lubricated with friction reducing materials.

(19) For flexible pads 404, a rope system 406,408,309 can be attached to them to allow the user to jiggle them to free stuck items. The rope can be bolted 406 to the bottom of the pad and the rope strung to the side of the chute using brackets 309,309a,309b. This way the rope would be strung to the bottom of the chute for easy user access. The impact absorbing pad 307 can be attached to the chute walls using a bolted side mount 402.

(20) For uses where there is a desire or need to fully absorb the impact force per drop a firm pad configuration 401 can be used. A pad 405 resting on a firm material like a metal plate 407 can be used. The pad can then rotate down like a swing door either through a motor 403 or user controlled gear mechanism 409 letting the item further drop. It can use either impact sensing, optical sensing, weight sensing, or user control to know when an item is on it and lower the plate for further dropping through the chute.

(21) A netted mesh box spring 313 (FIGS. 3 and 5) to allow for rain drainage and further impact absorption capabilities can be put at the bottom of the chute. The box would be comprised of a netted mesh top 502 resting on compression springs 501.

(22) The netted mesh box spring can be equipped with or attached to a heater and/or cooler unit 503 to allow for preventing snow/ice buildup or if expected items desire a temperature range while waiting to be retrieved. The netting 502, springs 501, and an added bottom layer 504 can be made with a good thermal conductor like metal to facilitate this function.