Automatic door closing device for secure locker system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10117536-B2
Application number	US-201615354859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2016
Priority date	Nov 19, 2015
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

An automatic built-in closing apparatus includes at least one common pivoting shaft that is driven by a unique motor, intermediate gear wheels and a clutch coupled to control doors of a series of lockable compartments pertaining to a same block of an electronic locker unit and a set of freewheels and overload clutch which is mounted on the common pivoting shaft as a hinge for each door of the series of lockable compartments.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of securely controlling retrieval of a package stored in at least one of a plurality of lockable compartments of an electronic locker unit by a user, the electronic locker unit connected to a managing distribution center through a communication network, the method comprising:
entering by the user of an identification code corresponding to the package, the user entering the identification code into the electronic locker unit manually via a keypad in electronic communication with a controller of the electronic locker unit or wirelessly via at least one of a transponder coupled to the package that transmits a signal to the controller or a phone in wireless communication with the controller of the electronic locker unit;
opening by the user of a door of the at least one lockable compartment of the electronic locker unit;
withdrawing by the user of the package from the at least one lockable compartment;
checking with a processing module and a weight or presence detector located inside the at least one lockable compartment to determine whether the at least one lockable compartment is empty, the checking including the controller in electronic communication with the weight or presence detector, the controller receiving a signal from one of the weight or presence detector corresponding to the at least one lockable compartment being empty after the user withdraws the package from the at least one lockable compartment; and
closing the door of the at least one lockable compartment, the closing including driving by a motor of the electronic locker unit at least one pivoting shaft common to a door of each of the plurality of lockable compartments, including the door of the at least one lockable compartment, to simultaneously close any open doors of empty at least one lockable compartments, wherein closed doors of the plurality of lockable compartments remain closed during rotation of the pivoting shaft,
wherein said closing is performed automatically by the controller which activates the motor if the at least one lockable compartment remains open after a timeout period.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said closing is performed after emitting an alert in the form of at least one of a visible message, an audible beep, or a flashing sign to prompt the user to carry out a manual closing operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: automatically transmitting an error or warning message to the managing distribution center in response to at least one door of the plurality of lockable compartments remaining open after the timeout period.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising after closing the at least one lockable compartment:
transmitting information corresponding to the at least one lockable compartment being empty and locked to the managing distribution center.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein closing the at least one lockable compartment includes the closing performed automatically by the controller which activates the motor if the at least one lockable compartment remains open after the timeout period, wherein the timeout period is between thirty seconds and sixty seconds.

6. A closing apparatus for an electronic locker unit, comprising:
at least one pivoting shaft that is driven by a motor, gear wheels and a first clutch, the at least one pivoting shaft controlling opening and closing of each door of a series of lockable compartments of a plurality of lockable compartments of the electronic locker unit; and
a plurality of freewheel and second clutch pairs which are mounted on the pivoting shaft, each freewheel and second clutch pair operating as a hinge for a corresponding door of each of the series of lockable compartments.

7. The closing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first clutch is one of the following types: electromagnetic, gear, friction, plate, ratchet and cone.

8. A method of securely controlling retrieval of a package stored in at least one of a plurality of lockable compartments of an electronic locker unit by a user, the electronic locker unit connected to a managing distribution center through a communication network, the method comprising:
receiving an identification code by a controller of the electronic locker unit, the identification code corresponding to the package and at least one of: entered manually via a keypad by a user or received wirelessly via a transponder coupled to the package or via a phone;
unlocking a door of the at least one lockable compartment of the electronic locker unit based on the received identification code;
checking with a processing module and a weight or presence detector located inside the at least one lockable compartment to determine whether the at least one lockable compartment is empty, the checking including the controller in electronic communication with the weight or presence detector, the controller receiving a signal from one of the weight or presence detector corresponding to the at least one lockable compartment being empty after the user withdraws the package from the at least one lockable compartment; and
closing the door of the at least one lockable compartment, the closing including driving by a motor of the electronic locker unit at least one pivoting shaft common to a door of each of the plurality of lockable compartments, including the door of the at least one lockable compartment, to simultaneously close any open doors of empty ones of the at least one lockable compartments, wherein closed doors of the plurality of lockable compartments remain closed during rotation of the pivoting shaft,
wherein said closing is performed automatically by the controller which activates the motor if the at least one lockable compartment remains open after a timeout period.

Assignees

• Neopost Tech

Inventors

• Peynet Christophe

Classifications

• G07F17/12

  comprising lockable containers, e.g. for accepting clothes to be cleaned · CPC title

• A47G2029/149

  with central server link · CPC title

• A47G29/30

  Accessories, e.g. signalling devices, lamps, means for leaving messages · CPC title

• E05F15/79

  using time control · CPC title

• A47G29/141 Primary

  comprising electronically controlled locking means · CPC title