Storage container and method for holding a consignment

Abstract

A receiving container for keeping a consignment transferred to the receiving container by an unmanned flyable transporting device includes a slide extending between a beginning of the slide and an end of the slide and a plurality of receiving compartments, provided in the region of the end of the slide, for receiving the consignment. The slide is one or more of rotatable about the vertical, pivotable about the horizontal and adjustable in length between the beginning of the slide and the end of the slide in order to deliver the consignment obtained from the transporting device at the beginning of the slide into one of the plurality of receiving compartments at the end of the slide.

Claims

1. A receiving container for keeping a consignment transferred to the receiving container by an unmanned flyable transporting device, comprising: a slide extending between a beginning of the slide and an end of the slide; and a plurality of receiving compartments provided in the region of the end of the slide, the plurality of receiving compartments configured for receiving at least one consignment; an access restricting device for a roof of the receiving container and/or a roof of a building on which the receiving container is installed, the access restricting device configured to block access onto the roof of the receiving container and/or the roof of the building when the transporting device is on the receiving container or is on an approach flight to the receiving container, wherein the slide is one or more of rotatable about the vertical, pivotable about the horizontal and adjustable in length between the beginning of the slide and the end of the slide in order to deliver the consignment obtained from the transporting device at the beginning of the slide into one of the plurality of receiving compartments at the end of the slide.

2. The receiving container of claim 1, wherein the slide is: rotatable about the vertical and pivotable about the horizontal; pivotable about the horizontal and adjustable in length; rotatable about the vertical and adjustable in length; or rotatable about the vertical, pivotable about the horizontal and adjustable in length.

3. The receiving container of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving compartments is distributed in at least two levels, the at least two levels positioned one of one above the other, next to one another and/or around the slide.

4. The receiving container of claim 1, wherein each receiving compartment of the plurality of receiving compartments has a closable removal opening through which the consignment is removable, a closable loading opening facing the slide, or both the closable removal opening and the closable loading opening.

5. The receiving container of claim 1, wherein each receiving compartment of the plurality of receiving compartments has a positioning aid for delivering the consignment into a respective receiving compartment and/or for supporting the end of the slide.

6. The receiving container of claim 1, further comprising a landing platform for the transporting device positioned above the beginning of the slide.

7. The receiving container of claim 6, further comprising a funnel positioned between the landing platform and the beginning of the slide.

8. The receiving container of claim 1, further comprising an openable roof provided above the slide and the plurality of receiving compartments.

9. The receiving container of claim 1, further comprising an occupancy sensor (20) configured for determining whether the consignment has been delivered in one of the plurality of receiving compartments.

10. The receiving container of claim 1, further comprising a transfer device configured to transfer the consignment from one of the plurality of receiving compartments to the transporting device when the transporting device has landed on the receiving container.

11. A method for keeping a consignment that has been transferred to a receiving container by an unmanned flyable transporting device, the receiving container having a slide that is adjustable in length between a beginning of the slide and an end of the slide and a plurality of receiving compartments for receiving the consignment, the plurality of receiving compartments provided in the region of the end of the slide, the method comprising: one or more of rotating the slide about the vertical, pivoting the slide about the horizontal and adjusting the length of the slide in order to deliver the consignment obtained from the transporting device at the beginning of the slide into one of the plurality of receiving compartments of the receiving container at the end of the slide, wherein the receiving container comprises an access restricting device for a roof of the receiving container and/or a roof of a building on which the receiving container is installed, the access restricting device configured to block access onto the roof of the receiving container and/or the roof of the building when the transporting device is on the receiving container or is on an approach flight to the receiving container.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: announcing a landing approach of the transporting device to the receiving container; checking whether the receiving container has a free receiving compartment for delivering the consignment; opening the roof of the receiving container for the landing of the transporting device on the receiving container; and opening a loading opening of a predetermined receiving compartment of the plurality of receiving compartments and/or positioning the end of the slide in front of the predetermined receiving compartment.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising one or more of: sensing a change in weight of a predetermined receiving compartment of the plurality of receiving compartments after delivery of the consignment; announcing the delivery to a recipient of the consignment; and closing the roof of the receiving container in response to the transporting device leaving the receiving container after the delivery of the consignment.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising: granting access to a recipient of the consignment into a local area around the receiving container in response to the consignment being delivered into one of the plurality of receiving compartments; and opening a removal opening of the one of the plurality of receiving compartments.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings on the basis of a preferred exemplary embodiment.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a receiving container for carrying out a method according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention in a schematic side view, and

(4) FIG. 2 shows the receiving container according to FIG. 1 in a schematic plan view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

(5) FIG. 1 shows a receiving container 1 for keeping a consignment 3 transferred by an unmanned flyable transporting device 2 to the receiving container 1 for carrying out a corresponding method according to a preferred exemplary embodiment in a schematic side view and in FIG. 2 in a schematic plan view.

(6) The receiving container 1 has a slide 4, which in the manner of a box slide extends linearly between a beginning of the slide 5 and an end of the slide 6. The slide 4 is designed as rotatable about the vertical, indicated in FIG. 2 by arrow 7, pivotable about the horizontal, indicated in FIG. 1 by arrow 8, and adjustable in length between the beginning of the slide 5 and the end of the slide 6 by a telescopic arm 9, at the beginning of the slide 5 on the receiving container 1.

(7) Above the end of the slide 6, arranged in the receiving container 1 is a funnel 10, on the upper side of which a landing platform 11 is formed, on which the transporting device 2 may land on the receiving container 1, as also shown in FIG. 1. As may be seen from the plan view in FIG. 2, a number of receiving compartments 12 are arranged running around the slide 4, two receiving compartments 12 being respectively provided on each side, next to one another and one above the other.

(8) The slide 4 is dimensioned in such a way that the end of the slide 6 may enter the region of each receiving compartment 12, that is to say for example reaches up to touch each receiving compartment 12. If, as shown in FIG. 1, a lower receiving compartment 12 is to be reached, a sliding path of the slide 4 is correspondingly lengthened by extending the telescopic arm 9, whereas, if an upper receiving compartment 12 is to be reached, not shown, the sliding path is shortened by retracting the telescopic arm 9 and the slide is also pivoted upwards with respect to the horizontal by its end of the slide 6. In this way, once the transporting device 2 has landed on the landing platform 11, the consignment 3 transferred by the transporting device 2 to the receiving container 1 may be delivered through the funnel 10 into one of the receiving compartments 12 by way of the slide 4.

(9) To make delivery easier, provided on the underside of each receiving compartment 12 is a positioning aid 13 in the form of a metal sheet, which is inclined with respect to the receiving compartment 12 and fastened on it and on which the end of the slide 6 may be supported. Furthermore, each receiving compartment 12 has a loading opening 14, which is facing the slide 4 and may be closed by a rolling shutter. In an analogous way, on the side of the receiving compartment 12 opposite from the loading opening 14 a removal opening 15 is provided in the form of a parcel compartment door, through which a recipient of the consignment 3 may remove it from the receiving compartment 12.

(10) Above the receiving compartments 12 arranged one above the other, a perimeter guard 16 which may be closed by a roof 17 that may be swung open is provided running around it. In the closed state, the funnel 10 and the slide 4 are provided within the receiving container 1, and consequently are protected from weather conditions. Moreover, an access restricting device 18 for the roof 17 of the receiving container 1 is provided in the form of a turnstile, only schematically represented, which alternatively or in addition also prevents access to a roof of a building 19, on which the receiving container 1 is installed, by which a transporting device 2 that has landed on the receiving container 1 or is on an approach flight to the receiving container 1 prevents anyone from going onto the roof 17 and/or the roof of the building 19.

(11) Furthermore, each receiving compartment 12 is provided with an occupancy sensor 20 in the form of a balance, so that it may be checked whether a consignment 3 has been delivered in the receiving compartment 12. Finally, the receiving container 1 also has an only schematically represented transfer device 21 in the form of a robot arm, in order to transfer a consignment 3 from the receiving compartment 12 to a transporting device 2 that has landed on the receiving container 1.

(12) According to a method that is given by way of example, the transporting device 2 on a landing approach announces a planned landing to the receiving container 1. The receiving container 1 then checks whether a free receiving compartment 12 is available for delivery of the consignment 3. If so, the roof 17 of the receiving container 1 is opened for the landing of the transporting device 2 on the receiving container 1. The loading opening 14 of a receiving compartment 12 predetermined by a control of the receiving container 1 is opened and the end of the slide 6 is positioned in front of the predetermined receiving compartment 12 by pivoting, rotating and/or adjusting the length of the slide 4. As a consequence, the consignment 3 may slide from the transporting device 2 into the receiving compartment 12 by way of the slide 4.

(13) The delivery of the consignment 3 is detected by a change in weight of the predetermined receiving compartment 12 and is announced to a recipient of the consignment 3. Once the transporting device 2 has removed itself from the receiving container 1, the roof 17 of the receiving container 1 is closed again. The recipient may then be granted access to a local area surrounding the receiving container 1 and the removal opening 15 of the receiving compartment 12 may be opened, so that the recipient may take possession of the consignment.

(14) The exemplary embodiments described are only examples, which can be modified and/or supplemented in various ways within the scope of the claims. Each feature that has been described for a specific exemplary embodiment can be used independently or in combination with other features in any desired other exemplary embodiment. Each feature that has been described for an exemplary embodiment of a particular category can also be used in a corresponding way in an exemplary embodiment of another category.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

(15) Receiving container 1 Transporting device 2 Consignment 3 Slide 4 Beginning of the slide 5 End of the slide 6 Arrow 7 Arrow 8 Telescopic arm 9 Funnel 10 Landing platform 11 Receiving compartment 12 Positioning aid 13 Loading opening 14 Removal opening 15 Perimeter guard 16 Roof 17 Access restricting device 18 Roof of a building 19 Occupancy sensor 20 Transfer device 21