Abstract
A parcel chute (1) is provided for an outer wall (13) of a building or an enclosure of a balcony which is used for the automatic delivery and collection of a parcel (2) by an unmanned aircraft, in particular a logistics drone. A method for delivering a parcel (2) using an unmanned aircraft, in particular a logistics drone, an outer wall (13) with a parcel chute (1), and an enclosure with a parcel chute (1) are also provided.
Claims
1. A parcel chute (1) for an outer wall (13) of a building or an enclosure of a balcony which is used for automatic delivery and/or collection of a parcel (2) by an unmanned aircraft, the parcel chute comprising: a base body (3) with at least one opening (4) for the parcel (2), a first side (5) for the delivery and/or collection of the parcel, and a second side (18) opposite the first side (5) for storing the parcel (2); a chute door (6, 81, 10) which is movably arranged on the base body (3), the chute door (6, 81, 10) substantially completely closes the opening (4) in a closed state and opens the opening up in an opened state, in order to guide the parcel (2) through the opening (4); a parcel drop-off area (7) arranged on the first side (5) of the base body (3), at least in the opened state of the chute door (6, 81, 10); a drive configured to move the chute door (6, 81, 10) from the closed state into the opened state and in an opposite direction; and a communication unit which is configured to communicate contactlessly with the unmanned aircraft during the delivery and/or collection of the parcel (2) and is connected to the drive in an information-conveying manner, as a result of which the chute door (6, 81, 10) is moveable from the closed state into the opened state, and in the opposite direction, during the delivery and/or collection of the parcel (2).
2. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, wherein the chute door (6, 81, 10) is formed at least partly from a heat-insulating material.
3. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving element (19, 20) for the parcel (2) arranged on the second side (18) of the base body (3), said receiving element comprising at least one of a collection net, a box, a thermo-box, or a refrigerator.
4. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, wherein the parcel drop-off area (7) has a conveying element (71) configured to transport the parcel (2) from the first side (5) to the second side (18) of the base body (3), or in the opposite direction.
5. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, wherein the parcel drop-off area (7) further comprises a charging device for electrical charging of rechargeable battery cells of the unmanned aircraft.
6. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit has at least one of a transmitter for positional data of the parcel chute or a receiver for receiving at least one of positional data of the unmanned aircraft or data relating to the parcel (2).
7. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, wherein the chute door (6, 81, 10) is arranged at least in the opened state on one of the first side (5) or the second side (18) of the base body (3).
8. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, wherein the base body (3) comprises a frame which has two vertical legs (31, 32) arranged spaced apart from one another and two horizontal legs (33, 34) arranged spaced apart from one another, and the vertical legs (31, 32) and the horizontal legs (33, 34) substantially enclose the opening (4).
9. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, wherein the chute door (6, 81, 10) comprises an at least one-piece sliding door (10), which is slidable for movement into the closed state in front of the opening (4).
10. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 9, wherein the base body (3) has at least one guide rail (11) along which the sliding door (10) is slidable to move the chute door (1) into the closed state in front of the opening (4), and the guide rail is arranged on a first horizontal leg (34) of the base body (3).
11. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, wherein the chute door (6, 81, 10) is a pivotable flap (6), which is arranged on the base body (3) so as to be pivotable about an axis, and the flap (6) is pivotable about 90° about the axis, in order to move the from the closed state into the opened state.
12. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 11, wherein the pivotable flap (6) is arranged on the base body (3) so as to be pivotable about the axis in a direction of the first side (5) of the base body, and when the pivotable flap (6) is in the closed state the parcel drop-off area (7) is arranged on a side of the pivotable flap (6) facing the opening (4).
13. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a drawer (12, 8) formed in at least one piece, which is extendible in a direction of the first side (5) of the base body (3), and the parcel drop-off area (7) is arranged on a side of the drawer (12, 8) facing the opening (4).
14. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 13, further comprising a drawer base (121, 82) for the drawer (12) configured such that the drawer (12, 8) is extendible telescopically in the direction of the first side (5) of the base body (3).
15. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 13, wherein the chute door (6, 81, 10) is a drawer end wall (81) of the drawer (8) which is arranged substantially perpendicularly to a drawer base (82) of the drawer, and the drawer end wall (81) substantially completely closes the opening in the closed state of the drawer end wall (81).
16. The parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, wherein the chute door (6, 81, 10) comprises a layer structure with at least one core layer (61) formed at least partly from the heat-insulating material, and at least two outer layers (62, 63) respectively delimiting the core layer (61) on each side, and the core layer (61) further comprises at least one of the drive or the communication unit.
17. A method for delivering a parcel (2) using an unmanned aircraft and for guiding the parcel (2) through the parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, the method comprising the following steps: a) flying the unmanned aircraft which is loaded with the parcel (2) in an incoming flight, b) transmitting of a delivery instruction to the communication unit of the parcel chute (1), c) transmitting of positional data of the parcel chute (1) by the communication unit to the unmanned aircraft, d) moving of the chute door (6, 81, 10) of the parcel chute from the closed state into the opened state by the drive of the parcel chute (1), resulting in the opening (4) in the base body (3) of the parcel chute (1) being opened up to guide the parcel (2) through the opening (4), e) setting of a course by the unmanned aircraft for a parcel drop-off area (7) of the parcel chute (1) arranged on the first side (5) of the base body (3) with using the positional data transmitted, f) dropping-off of the parcel (2) on the parcel drop-off area (7) by the unmanned aircraft, g) guiding the parcel (2) from the first side (5) of the base body (3) through the opening (4) to the second side (18) of the base body (3), h) moving the chute door (6, 81, 10) of the parcel chute (1) from the opened state into the closed state by the drive of the parcel chute (1), as a result of which the opening (4) in the base body (3) of the parcel chute (1) is closed.
18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising receiving the parcel (2) by a parcel receiving element (19, 20) of the parcel chute (1) arranged on the second side (18) of the base body (3) following method step (g), said parcel receiving element comprising at least one of a collection net, a box, a thermo-box, or a refrigerator.
19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the parcel (2) is transported in method step (g) by a conveying element (71) from the first side (5) of the base body (3) through the opening (4) to the second side (18) of the base body (3).
20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising electrically charging rechargeable battery cells of the unmanned aircraft during, or after, method step (f) by a charging device of the parcel drop-off area (7).
21. An outer wall (13) of a building comprising a wall inner side (A) oriented to a building inner side, a wall outer side (B) oriented to a building outer side, a wall body (16), wall insulation (17), and the parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, wherein the base body (3) with the at least one opening (4) of the parcel chute (1) crosses the outer wall (13) from the wall inner side (A) to the wall outer side (B).
22. An enclosure for a balcony of a building, comprising at least one vertically standing enclosure element, an enclosure inner side of the enclosure element facing a building side, an enclosure outer side of the enclosure element opposite the enclosure inner side, and the parcel chute (1) according to claim 1, wherein the base body with the at least one opening in the parcel chute crosses the vertically standing enclosure element from the enclosure outer side to the enclosure inner side.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] Further features or advantages of the present invention result from the following description of exemplary embodiments with the help of the drawings. In the drawing
[0029] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a parcel chute according to the invention as a perspective representation from the front
[0030] FIG. 2 shows the first exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute according to the invention in side view
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a parcel chute according to the invention in side view
[0032] FIG. 4 shows a third exemplary embodiment of a parcel chute according to the invention as a perspective representation from the front
[0033] FIG. 5 shows the third exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute according to the invention as a side view
[0034] FIG. 6 shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of a parcel chute according to the invention as a perspective representation from the front;
[0035] FIG. 7 shows a first exemplary embodiment of an outer wall according to the invention as a cross-sectional representation which comprises the first exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute according to the invention from FIGS. 1 and 2; and
[0036] FIG. 8 shows a second exemplary embodiment of an outer wall according to the invention as a cross-sectional representation which comprises the third exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute according to the invention from FIGS. 4 and 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a parcel chute 1 according to the invention for an outer wall of a building or an enclosure of a balcony as a perspective representation from the front, which is used for the automatic delivery and collection of a parcel 2 by means of an unmanned aircraft, in particular a logistics drone. This parcel chute 1 comprises a base body 3 with an opening 4 for the parcel 2 and a first side 5 for the delivery or collection of the parcel 2. The base body 3 is designed as a rectangular frame which has two vertical legs 31, 32 arranged spaced apart from one another and two horizontal legs 33, 34 arranged spaced apart from one another. These vertical legs 31, 32 and horizontal legs 33, 34 enclose the opening 4. The frame 3 in the present exemplary embodiment is designed as an injection molded part made of plastic and has a frame depth T of 37 cm. This frame 3 is therefore suitable for installation in an outer wall of a building which has a wall thickness D of 37 cm. Furthermore, the first exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute 1 according to the invention comprises a chute door 6 which is movably arranged on the base body 3. In the present first exemplary embodiment, this chute door 6 is a pivotable flap which is arranged so as to be pivotable about an axis on a first horizontal leg 34 of the base body 3. This pivotable flap 6 closes the opening 4 substantially completely in the closed state and opens up the opening 4 in the opened state to guide the parcel through the opening 4. The parcel chute 1 further comprises a drive schematically depicted via the arrow in FIG. 1. This drive, which can be an actuator, interacts with the pivotable flap 6 in such a manner that it moves the pivotable flap 6 from the closed state into the opened state, and in the opposite direction, and therefore opens up the opening 4 for guiding parcels 2 through or closes it. In order to avoid a heat bridge in the region of the opening 4, the pivotable flap 6 has a layer structure with a core layer 61 made of heat-insulating material and two outer layers 62, 63 of high-grade steel delimiting the core layer 61 on one side each. The heat-insulating material in this first exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute 1 is a vacuum insulating panel which contains a silicate-based aerogel, from which the air has been removed by evacuation. Apart from the vacuum insulating panel, the core layer 61 also comprises the drive which is therefore likewise arranged between the outer layers 62, 63. The parcel chute 1 further comprises a parcel drop-off area 7 which is arranged on the first side 5 of the base body 3 in the opened state of the chute door 6 and on a side of the pivotable flap 6 facing the opening 4 in the closed state of the chute door 6. The parcel 2, which has been delivered by the unmanned aircraft, lies on this parcel drop-off area 7. Furthermore, the parcel chute 1 has a communication unit not shown in FIG. 1, which is designed to communicate contactlessly with the unmanned aircraft when the parcel 2 is delivered or collected. Apart from the vacuum insulating panel and the drive, the core layer 61 also comprises the communication unit which is therefore likewise arranged between the outer layers 62, 63.
[0038] FIG. 2 shows the first exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute 1 from FIG. 1 in side view, wherein the chute door 6 is in its closed state and therefore completely closes the opening 4. As has already been mentioned beforehand, this chute door 6 is designed as a pivotable flap. This flap 6 is pivotable by 90° about an axis in the direction of the first side 5 of the base body 3 on the first horizontal leg 34, wherein it opens up the opening 4 by pivoting. The pivoting direction is indicated in FIG. 2 by the arrow contained therein and the opened state of the chute door 6 by the position of the flap 6 depicted by a dotted line. So that the flap 6 can be pivoted about the axis, the first horizontal leg 34 of the base body 3 has a hinge 341 which is arranged on a side of the first vertical leg 34 facing the first side 5 of the base body.
[0039] FIG. 3 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute 1 according to the invention in side view. This second exemplary embodiment differs from the first exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in that the parcel drop-off area 7 of the parcel chute 1 has a conveying element 71 in the form of a conveyor belt. This conveyor belt 71 is designed to convey the parcel 2 following its delivery from the first side 5 to the second side 18 of the base body (the movement direction is indicated by horizontal arrows in FIG. 3). When a parcel 2 is collected, the conveyor belt 71 can also convey the parcel 2 in the opposite direction, so from the second side 18 to the first side 5 of the base body 3.
[0040] FIG. 4 shows a third exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute 1 according to the invention as a perspective representation from the front. This third exemplary embodiment differs from the first exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in that the parcel chute 1 has a drawer 8 designed in one piece which can be extended it the direction of the first side 5 of the base body, wherein the parcel drop-off area 7 is arranged on a side of the drawer 8 facing the opening 4. The extension direction of the drawer 8 is indicated by the double arrow shown in FIG. 3. The chute door of this parcel chute 1 is a drawer end wall 81 of the drawer 8, which is arranged perpendicularly to a drawer base 82 of the drawer 8, wherein the drawer end wall 81 completely closes the opening 4 in the closed state of the chute door 81 not depicted in FIG. 3. For this purpose, the opening 4 and the drawer end wall 81 have the same dimension. This drawer end wall 83 also has the previously described layer structure, in order to avoid a heat bridge in the region of the opening 4. On a side of the first vertical leg 34 facing away from the opening 4, the parcel chute 1 has a drawer receiving element 9. In order to move the chute door or the drawer end wall 81 from the opened to the closed state, the drawer base 82, and therefore also the parcel drop-off area 7, is pushed into the drawer receiving element 9. In other words, the parcel drop-off area 7 is arranged on the first side 5 of the base body 3 only in the opened state of the chute door or the drawer end wall 81, and therefore not in the closed state of the chute door or of the drawer end wall 81 on the first side 5 of the base body 3.
[0041] FIG. 5 shows the third exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute 1 according to the invention from FIG. 4 in side view, wherein the chute door 8 is in its closed state, so that the drawer end wall 83 completely closes the opening 4 and the drawer base 82 is inserted into the drawer receiving element 9.
[0042] FIG. 6 shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute 1 according to the invention as a perspective representation from the front. This fourth exemplary embodiment differs from the third exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in that the chute door is a one-piece sliding door 10 which can be slid in front of the opening 4 in order to move into the closed state. The directions in which the sliding door can be slid are indicated in FIG. 6 by a double arrow. Despite this sliding door 10, the parcel chute 1 also has a drawer 12. However, unlike the drawer 8 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, this drawer 12 has no drawer end wall designed as a chute door, but only the drawer base 121. The parcel drop-off area 7 is arranged on the upper side of this drawer base 121. Furthermore, the first horizontal leg 34 of the base body 3 has a guide rail 11 along which the sliding door 10 can be slid to move said sliding door 10 into the closed state in front of the opening 4.
[0043] FIG. 7 shows a first exemplary embodiment of an outer wall 13 according to the invention as a cross-sectional representation which comprises the first exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute 1 according to the invention from FIGS. 1 and 2. This outer wall 13 further has a wall inner side 14 oriented towards a building inner side A, a wall outer side 15 oriented towards a building outer side B, a wall body 16 arranged in the region of the wall inner side 14 and a wall insulation 17 arranged in the region of the wall outer side 15. The parcel chute 1 in this case is integrated in the outer wall 13 in such a manner that its base body 3 crosses the outer wall 13 from the wall inner side 14 to the wall outer side 15, in other words, the wall body 16 and the wall insulation 17. The first exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute 1 has a receiving element in the form of a collection net 19 for the parcel 2 arranged on a second side 18 of the base body 3.
[0044] FIG. 8 shows a second exemplary embodiment of an outer wall 13 according to the invention as a cross-sectional representation. This second exemplary embodiment of the outer wall 13 differs from the first exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7, in that the second exemplary embodiment of the outer wall 13 comprises the fourth exemplary embodiment of the parcel chute 1 according to the invention from FIG. 6. The parcel chute in the form of the sliding door 10 is located in its closed state in FIG. 8, so that the opening 4 is closed. A further difference between the first and second exemplary embodiment of the outer wall 13 is that the receiving element for the parcel 2 in the second exemplary embodiment of the outer wall 13 is designed as a thermo-box 20.
