Delivery vehicle with a mobile attachment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12017572-B2
Application number	US-202117367850-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2021
Priority date	Jul 9, 2020
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

System, delivery vehicle and delivery container, wherein the delivery container for accommodation by a delivery vehicle has a plurality of compartments, wherein the compartments are accessible from the outside and each compartment is designed to accommodate a plurality of packages. Furthermore, a plurality of closure elements are provided for closing the compartments and a connecting element is provided for connection to a delivery vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A delivery container for accommodation by a delivery vehicle comprising:
a plurality of compartments, wherein the compartments are accessible from the outside and each compartment is designed to accommodate a plurality of packages;
a plurality of closure elements for closing the compartments; and
a connecting element for connection to a delivery vehicle,
wherein at least one of the compartments extends over the entire width of the delivery container,
wherein at least one of the compartments is accessible via a loading side, wherein the loading side is arranged opposite an unloading side,
wherein all of the plurality of compartments have exactly one closure element that is arranged on the loading side thereof so as to permit simultaneous loading of all of the plurality of compartments, and
wherein each of the plurality of compartments individually have exactly one closure element that is arranged on the delivery side thereof so as to permit individual unloading of each of the plurality of compartments.

2. The delivery container according to claim 1 , wherein the closure elements are doors or roller gates.

3. The delivery container according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the compartments is formed on a slant.

4. The delivery container according to claim 3 , wherein each compartment has an indicator element for indicating the compartment for the removal of a package.

5. The delivery container according to claim 1 , further comprising rollers on an underside of the delivery container for moving the delivery container.

6. A delivery vehicle with a vehicle base and a delivery container according to claim 1 , wherein the delivery container is reversibly connected to the vehicle base.

7. The delivery vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the vehicle base has a bulky goods box for the accommodation of bulky goods between a driver's cab and the delivery container.

8. The delivery vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the vehicle base has a generator and/or a control unit and the vehicle base is connected to the delivery container by means of a wired plug connector.

9. A system for the delivery of packages with a delivery vehicle according to claim 6 and a loading station for loading the delivery container.

10. The system according to claim 9 , further comprising an unloading station for unloading undelivered packages, wherein the unloading station has a guide, wherein due to the guide the sides of the delivery container are arranged at different heights, so that packages can slide out of a loading side.

11. A method for operating the system according to claim 9 , the method comprising:
loading a delivery container with packages;
driving to destination addresses along a delivery route; and
delivering the packages to the destination addresses.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the steps after driving to a delivery address:
releasing a compartment, by means of a terminal;
removing a package;
closing the compartment; and
delivering the package to a recipient.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising unloading undelivered packages after driving along the entire delivery route, via an unloading side of the delivery container.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein loading within a compartment takes place in an order of delivery.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the delivery route has at least two segments, wherein each segment comprises a sequence of a plurality of delivery addresses, wherein individual compartments are loaded with packages of a segment of the delivery route.

16. The delivery vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the vehicle base has contact elements and wherein the delivery container has corresponding contact elements, which come into contact with each other when connecting the delivery container to the vehicle base for the transmission of current and/or control signals.

Assignees

• Deutsche Post Ag

Inventors

• Piontek Herr Christoph
• Kaschner Oliver
• Winnebeck Alexander

Classifications

• B65D2590/0066

  Containers inside the container · CPC title

• B65D90/008

  Doors for containers, e.g. ISO-containers (locking E05B83/12) · CPC title

• B65D90/004

  Contents retaining means · CPC title

• B61D47/00

  Loading or unloading devices combined with vehicles, e.g. loading platforms, {doors convertible into loading and unloading ramps}(combined with vehicles in general B60P) · CPC title

• B60P1/6418

  the load-transporting element being a container or similar · CPC title