Abstract
The invention relates to a method for delivering mobile locker cabinets loaded with postal items to automatic parcel stations and for collecting empty mobile locker cabinets from automatic parcel stations by means of a delivery vehicle having a cargo space. In order to reduce the outlay associated with logistics of locker cabinets and thus to reduce the associated costs of logistics, depending on a delivery route, the locker cabinets loaded with postal items are arranged in a delivery sequence within the cargo space in such a way that a locker cabinet which forms a start of the delivery sequence and a locker cabinet which forms an end of the delivery sequence are accessible directly via a rear loading/unloading opening (8) of the cargo space.
Claims
1. Method for delivering mobile locker cabinets loaded with postal items to automatic parcel stations and for collecting empty mobile locker cabinets from automatic parcel stations by means of a delivery vehicle having a cargo space, comprising: depending on a delivery route, loading the locker cabinets with postal items are arranged in a delivery sequence within the cargo space in such a way that a locker cabinet which forms a start of the delivery sequence and a locker cabinet which forms an end of the delivery sequence are accessible directly via a rear loading/unloading opening of the cargo space.
2. Method according to claim 1, further comprising: after removal of a locker cabinet to be delivered immediately from the cargo space, moving in the cargo space the remaining locker cabinets located in the cargo space in such a way, while maintaining the delivery sequence, that the locker cabinet to be delivered next assumes a removal position within the cargo space, which is accessible directly via the loading/unloading opening and from which the locker cabinet to be delivered immediately has been removed from the cargo space.
3. Method according to claim 2, further comprising: arranging an empty locker cabinet in such a way in the cargo space, at a loading position within the cargo space which has become free as a result of the movement of the remaining locker cabinets located in the cargo space, while maintaining the delivery sequence, and which is accessible directly via the loading/unloading opening, that the delivery sequence is extended at the end by the empty locker cabinet.
4. Method according to claim 1, comprising: arranging the locker cabinets loaded with postal items in a U-shaped delivery sequence within the cargo space.
5. Method according to claim 1, comprising at least one of: moving within the cargo space the locker cabinets by means of a mobile transport unit; removing from the cargo space the locker cabinets by means of a mobile transport unit; or inserting into the cargo space the locker cabinets by means of a mobile transport unit.
6. Method according to claim 1, comprising: moving the locker cabinets within the cargo space by means of their own running wheels and by means of their own travel drive; removing the locker cabinets from the cargo space by means of their own running wheels and by means of their own travel drive; or inserting the locker cabinets into the cargo space by means of their own running wheels and by means of their own travel drive.
7. Method according to claim 1, comprising: moving the locker cabinets within the cargo space manually; removing the locker cabinets from the cargo space manually; or inserting the locker cabinets into the cargo space manually.
8. A system for delivering mobile locker cabinets loaded with postal items to automatic parcel stations and for collecting empty mobile locker cabinets from automatic parcel stations, comprising: at least one delivery vehicle having a cargo space for accommodating mobile locker cabinets; and a plurality of mobile locker cabinets for accommodating postal items, wherein the system is designed to carry out the method according to any of the preceding claims.
9. System according to claim 8, comprising: at least one mobile transport unit for moving the locker cabinets within the cargo space and/or for removing in each case one locker cabinet from the cargo space and/or for inserting in each case one locker cabinet into the cargo space.
10. System according to claim 8, comprising: the delivery vehicle has a rear lift gate and/or a front lateral cargo space access door.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims and the following description of the figures, of which:
[0028] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration from the side of an exemplary embodiment for a system according to the invention,
[0029] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the system shown in FIG. 1 from above in a state of a delivery and collection operation,
[0030] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the system shown in FIG. 1 from above in a further state of the delivery and collection operation,
[0031] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of the system shown in FIG. 1 from above in a further state of the delivery and collection operation,
[0032] FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of the system shown in FIG. 1 from above in a further state of the delivery and collection operation,
[0033] FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of the system shown in FIG. 1 from above in a further state of the delivery and collection operation,
[0034] FIG. 7 shows a schematic illustration of the system shown in FIG. 1 from above in a further state of the delivery and collection operation,
[0035] FIG. 8 shows a schematic illustration of the system shown in FIG. 1 from above in a further state of the delivery and collection operation, and
[0036] FIG. 9 shows a schematic illustration from the side of a further exemplary embodiment for a system according to the invention.
[0037] In the different figures, identical parts are always provided with the same reference signs, for which reason they are generally also only described once.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0038] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side illustration of an exemplary embodiment for a system 1 according to the invention for delivering mobile locker cabinets 2 loaded with postal items to automatic parcel stations and for collecting empty mobile locker cabinets (shown in FIGS. 2 to 8) from automatic parcel stations.
[0039] The system 1 has a delivery vehicle 3 in the form of a utility vehicle with a cargo space 4 for accommodating mobile locker cabinets 2. The delivery vehicle 3 has a rear lift gate 5 and a front lateral cargo space access door shown in FIG. 4.
[0040] Moreover, the system 1 has a mobile transport unit, shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 6 to 9, for moving the locker cabinets 2 within the cargo space 4, for removing in each case one locker cabinet 2 from the cargo space 4 and for inserting in each case one locker cabinet 2 into the cargo space 4.
[0041] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the system 1 shown in FIG. 1 from above in a state of a delivery and collection operation. FIG. 2 shows that, depending on a delivery route, the locker cabinets 2 loaded with postal items have been arranged in a U-shaped delivery sequence, indicated by an arrow 7, within the cargo space 4 in such a way that a locker cabinet 2a which forms a start of the delivery sequence and a locker cabinet 2b which forms an end of the delivery sequence are accessible directly via a rear loading/unloading opening 8 of the cargo space 4. The delivery vehicle 3 is parked in the region of an automatic parcel station, of which only an empty locker cabinet 9 is shown.
[0042] In order to produce the state shown in FIG. 2, the lift gate 5 has been brought into a functional position aligned with a floor 6 of the cargo space 4. Moreover, the locker cabinet 2a forming the start of the delivery sequence has been moved partially out of its removal position, which is accessible directly via the loading/unloading opening 8, by means of the mobile transport unit 10, in order to move this locker cabinet 2a onto the lift gate 5.
[0043] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the system 1 shown in FIG. 1 from above in a further state of the delivery and collection operation. This state is derived from the state shown in FIG. 2 in that the locker cabinet 2a has been set down on the floor 11 by means of the lift gate 5 and the mobile transport unit 10.
[0044] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of the system 1 shown in FIG. 1 from above in a further state of the delivery and collection operation. This state is derived from the state shown in FIG. 3 in that the mobile transport unit 10 has been moved back into the cargo space 4 with the aid of the lift gate 5 and in that five locker cabinets 2 arranged in a straight line have been moved jointly in the direction of the loading/unloading opening 8 of the cargo space 4 by means of the mobile transport unit 10 in accordance with the arrow 17.
[0045] FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of the system 1 shown in FIG. 1 from above in a further state of the delivery and collection operation. This state is derived from the state shown in FIG. 4 in that the five locker cabinets 2 arranged in a straight line have been moved jointly by means of the mobile transport unit 10 in the direction of the loading/unloading opening 8 of the cargo space 4 in such a way that the locker cabinet 2 to be delivered next assumes the removal position within the cargo space 4, which is accessible directly via the loading/unloading opening 8 and from which the locker cabinet 2a to be delivered immediately has been removed from the cargo space 4. Subsequently, a locker cabinet 2 adjoining the displaced row in the delivery sequence has been moved in the transverse direction of the cargo space 4 in accordance with the arrow 12, with the result that this locker cabinet 2 extends or completes the displaced row at the front. For carrying out this transverse movement of the locker cabinet 2 within the cargo space 4, the cargo space 4 has a lateral cargo space access door 13.
[0046] FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of the system 1 shown in FIG. 1 from above in a further state of the delivery and collection operation. This state is derived from the state shown in FIG. 5 in that the mobile transport unit 10 has been moved to the empty locker cabinet 9 in order to insert the empty locker cabinet 9 into the cargo space 4.
[0047] FIG. 7 shows a schematic illustration of the system 1 shown in FIG. 1 from above in a further state of the delivery and collection operation. This state is derived from the state shown in FIG. 6 in that the empty locker cabinet 9 has been partially inserted into the cargo space 4 by means of the mobile transport unit 10, whereby a series of five locker cabinets 2 has been pushed away jointly from the loading/unloading opening 8 in accordance with the arrow 14.
[0048] FIG. 8 shows a schematic illustration of the system 1 shown in FIG. 1 from above in a further state of the delivery and collection operation. This state is derived from the state shown in FIG. 7 in that the row of five locker cabinets 2 has been completely pushed away jointly from the loading/unloading opening 8, with the result that the empty locker cabinet 9 has been arranged in such a way within the cargo space 4, at a loading position which has become free as a result of this movement and is accessible directly via the loading/unloading opening 8, that the delivery sequence is extended or completed at the end by the empty locker cabinet 9. Subsequently, the mobile transport unit 10 has been moved to the locker cabinet 2 which is to be delivered next and this locker cabinet 2 has been moved partially out of the cargo space 4, with the result that the state corresponds substantially to the state from FIG. 2 and it is thus possible to repeat the steps described above in order to deliver at least one further locker cabinet 2 and to collect at least one further empty locker cabinet 9.
[0049] FIG. 9 shows a schematic side illustration of a further exemplary embodiment for a system 15 according to the invention for delivering mobile locker cabinets 2 loaded with postal items to automatic parcel stations and for collecting empty mobile locker cabinets (shown in FIGS. 2 to 8) from automatic parcel stations.
[0050] The system 15 differs from the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 solely in that the locker cabinets 2 each have running wheels 16 and a travel drive (not shown), thus enabling the above-described delivery and collection operation to be carried out without a mobile transport unit. To avoid repetition, attention is drawn in other respects to the above description of FIGS. 1 to 8.
LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS
[0051] 1 system [0052] 2 locker cabinet [0053] 2a locker cabinet (start) [0054] 2b locker cabinet (end) [0055] 3 delivery van [0056] 4 cargo space [0057] 5 lift gate [0058] 6 floor of 4 [0059] 7 arrow (delivery sequence) [0060] 8 loading/unloading opening of 4 [0061] 9 empty locker cabinet [0062] 10 mobile transport unit [0063] 11 floor [0064] 12 arrow (transverse movement) [0065] 13 lateral cargo space access door of 4 [0066] 14 arrow (row movement) [0067] 15 system [0068] 16 running wheel of 2 [0069] 17 arrow (row movement)
