Delivery rack and delivery vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11946290-B2
Application number	US-202117548235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2021
Priority date	Feb 5, 2021
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A rack includes: a casing; M (an integer not less than three) pairs of supports that are provided inside the casing so as to extend in a depth direction and arrayed at regular intervals in a predetermined direction (a height direction or a left-right direction); and a lock mechanism. The rack can house all returnable containers of one or more prespecified sizes along the respective pairs of supports. The lock mechanism includes N (an integer not less than two and meeting N<M≤2N−1) shafts that are movable in the predetermined direction. Branches are provided on the shafts such that a combination of engagement and disengagement between the branches and holes provided in protrusions of the returnable container is different in each of the returnable containers housed on the respective M pairs of supports.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A delivery rack comprising:
a casing;
M pairs of supports, with M being an integer not less than three, that are provided inside the casing so as to extend in a depth direction and arrayed in M tiers at regular intervals in a predetermined direction that is one of an up-down direction and a left-right direction; and
a lock mechanism that locks returnable containers housed by being supported so as to be slidable along the respective M pairs of supports,
the delivery rack being able to house all the returnable containers of one or more prespecified sizes, wherein:
the lock mechanism includes N shafts, with N being an integer not less than two and meeting N<M≤2 N −1, that are movable in the predetermined direction and each have a stem that is provided so as to extend across all the M pairs of supports and M branches that branch off from the stem so as to correspond to the respective M pairs of supports;
moving each of the N shafts in the predetermined direction enables switching between engagement and disengagement between the branches of the N shafts and N holes provided in each of the returnable containers housed on the respective M pairs of supports; and
the branches are provided on the N shafts such that a combination of engagement and disengagement between the branches and the holes is different in each of the returnable containers housed on the respective M pairs of supports.

2. The delivery rack according to claim 1 , wherein:
protrusions that protrude from the returnable container toward outer sides in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction slide over the supports; and
the holes are provided in the protrusions.

3. The delivery rack according to claim 2 , wherein the holes are provided at ends of the protrusions in a longitudinal direction.

4. The delivery rack according to claim 1 , wherein the lock mechanism has a driving source that separately and electrically drives each of the N shafts.

5. The delivery rack according to claim 1 , wherein:
the delivery rack is able to house returnable containers in L rows, with L being an integer not less than one, in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction of the casing; and
the delivery rack includes the M pairs of supports and the lock mechanism in each row.

6. A delivery vehicle comprising a rack, wherein:
the rack has:
a casing;
M pairs of supports, with M being an integer not less than three, that are provided inside the casing so as to extend in a depth direction and arrayed in M tiers at regular intervals in a predetermined direction that is one of an up-down direction and a left-right direction; and
a lock mechanism that locks returnable containers housed by being supported so as to be slidable along the respective M pairs of supports,

the rack being able to house all the returnable containers of one or more prespecified sizes;
the lock mechanism includes N shafts, with N being an integer not less than two and meeting N<M≤2 N −1, that are movable in the predetermined direction and each have a stem that is provided so as to extend across all the M pairs of supports and M branches that branch off from the stem so as to correspond to the respective M pairs of supports;
moving each of the N shafts in the predetermined direction enables switching between engagement and disengagement between the branches of the N shafts and N holes provided in each of the returnable containers housed on the respective M pairs of supports; and
the branches are provided on the N shafts such that a combination of engagement and disengagement between the branches and the holes is different in each of the returnable containers housed on the respective M pairs of supports.

7. The delivery vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein:
protrusions that protrude from the returnable container toward outer sides in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction slide over the supports; and
the holes are provided in the protrusions.

8. The delivery vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the holes are provided at ends of the protrusions in a longitudinal direction.

9. The delivery vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the lock mechanism has a driving source that separately and electrically drives each of the N shafts.

10. The delivery vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein:
the rack is able to house returnable containers in L rows, with L being an integer not less than one, in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction of the casing; and
the rack includes the M pairs of supports and the lock mechanism in each row.

11. The delivery vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the delivery vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Iwamoto Kunihiro
• Itozawa Yuta
• Komura Hirotaka
• Takagi Yutaro
• Nakamoto Yoshiaki
• Ota Junya

Classifications

• E05B65/462 Primary

  for two or more drawers · CPC title

• A47B88/407

  Adjustably or detachably mounted drawers (A47B88/423 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47B88/437

  Rollers for slides or guides · CPC title

• B62B3/005 Primary

  Details of storage means, e.g. drawers, bins or racks · CPC title

• E05B47/0001

  with electric actuators; Constructional features thereof (for vehicles E05B81/04) · CPC title