Container, method for delivering a plurality of articles, and method for picking up at least one article implementing such container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11975753-B2
Application number	US-201917617342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2019
Priority date	Jul 19, 2019
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

A container comprising a carriage including a superposed base, a rack, and a plurality of compartments, a cabinet defining an inner space configured to accommodate the carriage, and a locking system configured to cooperate with an anchorage provided on the ground surface, the locking system presenting a locked state in which removal of the container from the anchorage is prevented, and an unlocked state, wherein the cabinet is mounted on the rack of the carriage and the rack is movable with respect to the base between retracted and extended positions, a skirt of the cabinet masking at least a major portion of the base of the carriage in the retracted position of the rack, the locking system being in the locked state when the rack is in the retracted position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A container for carrying a plurality of articles, the container comprising:
a carriage including a base and a rack superposed along a carriage axis, the base being configured to rest on a ground surface, the carriage including a plurality of compartments each configured to accommodate at least one of the articles,
a cabinet extending along a cabinet axis from a bottom end and defining an inner space provided with a bottom opening along the cabinet axis in the bottom end, the inner space being configured to accommodate the carriage with the carriage axis parallel to the cabinet axis and the base within the bottom opening, the bottom end of the cabinet being configured to form an annular skirt around the cabinet axis,
a locking system configured to cooperate with an anchorage provided on the ground surface, the locking system presenting a locked state in which removal of the container from the anchorage is prevented, and an unlocked state in which removal of the container from the anchorage is enabled,
wherein the container presents a closed state in which any access to the compartments is prevented, and an opened state in which an access to at least one of the compartments is enabled,
wherein the cabinet is mounted on the rack of the carriage and the rack is movable with respect to the base in translation along the carriage axis between a retracted position in which the rack is close to the base and an extended position in which the rack is spaced apart from the base, the skirt masking at least a major portion of the base of the carriage in the retracted position of the rack, the locking system being in the locked state when the rack is in the retracted position.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the carriage is removable from the cabinet, the container presenting an assembled configuration wherein the carriage is accommodated within the inner space of the cabinet, and a separate configuration wherein the carriage is arranged outside the inner space of the cabinet.

3. The container of claim 1 , wherein the base of the carriage is provided with casters configured to roll on the ground surface.

4. The container of claim 3 , wherein the carriage is equipped with a braking system presenting an activated state in which the casters are prevented from rolling, and a deactivated state in which the casters are enabled to roll, the braking system being in the activated state when the rack is in the retracted position.

5. The container of claim 1 , wherein the cabinet is configured such that the skirt rests on the ground surface when the rack is in the retracted position.

6. The container of claim 1 , wherein the cabinet includes a cabinet lateral wall extending around the cabinet axis and provided with a front opening in an opening axis perpendicular to the cabinet axis, the front opening being configured to enable an access to the inner space, and
wherein each compartment extends along a casing axis parallel to the opening axis, and presents an access opening along the casing axis and facing the front opening of the cabinet, the access opening being configured to enable an access to the compartment,
at least one of the front opening and the access opening being closed in the closed state of the container.

7. The container of claim 6 , wherein the front opening is configured to allow the carriage to pass through the front opening.

8. The container of claim 6 , wherein the cabinet further includes a front panel configured to cover the front opening in the closed state of the container, and to be spaced apart from the front opening in the opened state of the container.

9. The container of claim 8 , wherein the front panel comprises a cabinet door hinged to the cabinet lateral wall.

10. The container of claim 9 , wherein the cabinet door extends over an upper portion of a height of the cabinet and the front panel further comprises a baseboard mounted in a removable manner on the cabinet lateral wall, the baseboard forming a part of the skirt in the closed state of the container.

11. The container of claim 6 , wherein each compartment is delimited by a casing lateral wall extending around the casing axis, and a casing door hinged to the casing lateral wall so as to cover the access opening in the closed state of the container, and to be spaced apart from the access opening in the opened state of the container.

12. The container of claim 1 , wherein each compartment is formed in a casing mounted in a removable manner on the rack of the carriage.

13. The container of claim 12 , wherein each casing is chosen among a range of casings having different sizes, the plurality of compartments resulting from a modular arrangement of casings.

14. The container of claim 1 , wherein the base presents a contact surface intended to be in contact with the ground surface and the locking system comprises a locking member mounted on the rack and configured to cooperate with the anchorage, the locking member being arranged at a distance from the contact surface when the rack is in the extended position and at proximity of the contact surface when the rack is in the retracted position.

15. The container of claim 14 , wherein the locking member is electromagnetic, the locking system comprising a power source configured to supply the electromagnetic locking member with power in the locked state of the locking system.

16. The container of claim 1 , wherein the locking system further comprises a blocking arrangement configured to prevent the rack from being moved towards the extended position while the locking member is in the locked state.

17. The container of claim 1 , further comprising a central unit connected to the carriage, the cabinet, and the locking system, and configured to set the rack in one of the retracted and extended positions, the container in one of the opened and closed state and the locking system in one of the locked and unlocked state.

18. The container of claim 17 , further comprising a communication interface connected to the central unit and configured to enable a user to communicate with the central unit.

19. A method for delivering a plurality of articles comprising:
preparing a container comprising a carriage, a cabinet, and a locking system, the carriage including a base and a rack superposed along a carriage axis, the base being configured to rest on a ground surface, the carriage including a plurality of compartments each configured to accommodate at least one of the articles, the cabinet extending along a cabinet axis from a bottom end and defining an inner space provided with a bottom opening along the cabinet axis in the bottom end, the inner space being configured to accommodate the carriage with the carriage axis parallel to the cabinet axis and the base within the bottom opening, the bottom end of the cabinet being configured to form an annular skirt around the cabinet axis, the locking system configured to cooperate with an anchorage provided on the ground surface, the locking system presenting a locked state in which removal of the container from the anchorage is prevented, and an unlocked state in which removal of the container from the anchorage is enabled, the container being in an opened state in which an access to at least one of the compartments is enabled, articles being accommodated in the compartments of the carriage,
setting the container in a closed state in which any access to the compartments is prevented,
placing the container on a ground surface provided with an anchorage,
moving the container wi

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Courtens Fabrice

Classifications

• B62B5/049 Primary

  locking against movement by contacting the floor or a wall · CPC title

• B62B3/004

  Details of doors or cover lids · CPC title

• B62B3/02

  involving parts being adjustable, collapsible, attachable, detachable or convertible · CPC title

• B62B3/04

  involving means for grappling or securing in place objects to be carried; Loading or unloading equipment · CPC title

• B62B5/0013

  Protection covers, e.g. against rain · CPC title