Locker system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10883754-B2
Application number	US-201715609906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2014
Publication date	Jan 5, 2021
Grant date	Jan 5, 2021

Abstract

A temperature controlled storage apparatus includes a plurality of lockable storage spaces. Each of the plurality of lockable storage spaces includes one or more compartments. The temperature of each of the one or more compartments is independently controllable to provide any one of a chilled temperature or a frozen temperature. Access to the storage space is remotely programmable.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lockable temperature controlled storage apparatus, comprising:
a) a group of compartments, each compartment closeable by a remotely programmable insulated lockable door;
b) at least one common distribution system comprising a heat transfer fluid that is arranged to be in cooperation with a refrigeration system having a defined maximum refrigeration capacity, said at least one common distribution system comprising a plurality of valves for distributing the heat transfer fluid at a supplied pressure to exchange heat with the group of compartments, each valve of the plurality associated with a respective one of the compartments in the group of compartments;
a controller for controlling actuation of the plurality of valves, wherein the controller is configured to assign a cooling sequence to a sub-group of the compartments, the sub-group of compartments comprising at least a first compartment of the group of compartments and a second compartment of the group of compartments, and less than all of the compartments in the group of compartments, wherein the heat transfer fluid is fed to the first compartment through a first valve of the plurality of valves and the heat transfer fluid is fed to the second compartment through a second valve of the plurality of valves, wherein the second valve is separate from the first valve, wherein the cooling sequence defines an order in which each compartment in the sub-group will receive heat transfer fluid such that the heat transfer fluid is periodically switched to each of the compartments in the sub-group in accordance with the cooling sequence by the controller actuating the first valve to be closed when the second valve is open and the second valve to be closed when the first valve is open so that less than all of the compartments in the sub-group of compartments receive heat transfer fluid at any given time and to vary the quantity of heat transfer fluid to each of the compartments in the sub-group.

2. A lockable temperature controlled storage apparatus, comprising:
a) a group of compartments, each compartment closeable by a remotely programmable insulated lockable door;
b) at least one common distribution system comprising a heat transfer fluid that is arranged to be in cooperation with a refrigeration system having a defined maximum refrigeration capacity, said at least one common distribution system comprising at least one valve for distributing the heat transfer fluid at a supplied pressure to exchange heat with the group of compartments;
a controller for controlling actuation of the at least one valve, wherein the controller is configured to assign a cooling sequence to a sub-group of the compartments, the sub-group of compartments comprising two or more compartments and less than all of the compartments in the group of compartments, wherein the cooling sequence defines an order in which each compartment in the sub-group will receive heat transfer fluid such that the heat transfer fluid is periodically switched to each of the compartments in the sub-group in accordance with the cooling sequence by the controller actuating the at least one valve so that less than all of the compartments in the sub-group of compartments receive heat transfer fluid at any given time and to vary the quantity of heat transfer fluid to each of the compartments in the sub-group;
wherein, when the temperature of one of the compartments in the sub-group has reached a defined desired range of temperature for the one compartment, a compartment that was previously not part of the sub-group is allocated into the sub-group.

3. A lockable temperature controlled storage apparatus, comprising:
a) a group of compartments, each compartment closeable by a remotely programmable insulated lockable door;
b) at least one common distribution system comprising a heat transfer fluid that is arranged to be in cooperation with a refrigeration system having a defined maximum refrigeration capacity, said at least one common distribution system comprising at least one valve for distributing the heat transfer fluid at a supplied pressure to exchange heat with the group of compartments;
a controller for controlling actuation of the at least one valve, wherein the controller is configured to assign a cooling sequence to a sub-group of the compartments, the sub-group of compartments comprising two or more compartments and less than all of the compartments in the group of compartments, wherein the cooling sequence defines an order in which each compartment in the sub-group will receive heat transfer fluid such that the heat transfer fluid is periodically switched to each of the compartments in the sub-group in accordance with the cooling sequence by the controller actuating the at least one valve so that less than all of the compartments in the sub-group of compartments receive heat transfer fluid at any given time and to vary the quantity of heat transfer fluid to each of the compartments in the sub-group;
wherein the selection of the compartments in the sub-group are prioritised according to criteria, in which the criteria prioritise compartments based on:
i) having a temperature outside a defined desired range of temperature and/or
ii) temperature requirements of the compartments; wherein the temperature requirement of a compartment is based on the compartment having one of the following
(a) a controlled ambient temperature having a temperature range between substantially 4° C. to substantially 21° C.; or
(b) a chilled temperature; or
(c) a frozen temperature.

4. A lockable temperature controlled storage apparatus, comprising:
a) a group of compartments, each compartment closeable by a remotely programmable insulated lockable door;
b) at least one common distribution system comprising a heat transfer fluid that is arranged to be in cooperation with a refrigeration system having a defined maximum refrigeration capacity, said at least one common distribution system comprising at least one valve for distributing the heat transfer fluid at a supplied pressure to exchange heat with the group of compartments;
a controller for controlling actuation of the at least one valve, wherein the controller is configured to assign a cooling sequence to a sub-group of the compartments, the sub-group of compartments comprising two or more compartments and less than all of the compartments in the group of compartments, wherein the cooling sequence defines an order in which each compartment in the sub-group will receive heat transfer fluid such that the heat transfer fluid is periodically switched to each of the compartments in the sub-group in accordance with the cooling sequence by the controller actuating the at least one valve so that less than all of the compartments in the sub-group of compartments receive heat transfer fluid at any given time and to vary the quantity of heat transfer fluid to each of the compartments in the sub-group;
wherein the controller is configured to determine, for each compartment, a required refrigeration capacity to maintain or return the compartment to a defined desired range of temperature associated with the compartment, and the controller allocates a number of compartments into the sub-group such that the maximum refrigeration capacity is not exceeded by a combined required refrigeration capacity of the number of compartments such that a refrigerant pressure for cooling is maintained for each compartment in the sub-group.

5. The lockable temperature controlled storage apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to place in a queue each compartment of the group that is (i) not allocated to the sub-group and (ii) has a temperature outside the defined desired range of temperature associated with the compartment, wherein each compartment in the queue is

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Dade Nigel
• Hunt Gareth
• Chung Hoi Kan
• Imam Nashim

Classifications

• G07F17/13

  the containers being a postal pick-up locker · CPC title

• A47G2200/166

  sensor · CPC title

• F25D13/04 Primary

  the compartments being at different temperatures · CPC title

• A47G2029/149

  with central server link · CPC title

• A47B88/90

  Constructional details of drawers · CPC title