Temperature-Controlled Delivery Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017349079-A1
Application number	US-201715611288-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 1, 2017
Priority date	Jun 1, 2016
Publication date	Dec 7, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to temperature-controlled delivery of items. A conveyor mechanism disposed within a temperature-controlled compartment of a delivery vehicle can provide easy access to items within the compartment. In some embodiments, the conveyor mechanism can be operated by a control circuit to convey items within the compartment to position the items adjacent to the access door according to various inputs

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A delivery vehicle comprising:
a temperature-controlled compartment; a door providing access to the temperature-controlled compartment; one or more containers disposed within the temperature-controlled compartment; a conveyor mechanism disposed at least partially within the temperature-controlled compartment and configured to convey the one or more containers about a continuous path within the temperature-controlled compartment such that the containers are accessible through the door; and a control circuit configured to control operation of the conveyor mechanism.

2 . The delivery vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to position a particular container of the one or more containers adjacent to the door with the conveyor mechanism based on location data of the delivery vehicle.

3 . The delivery vehicle of claim 2 , further comprising a switch device disposed adjacent to the conveyor and a light coupled to the switch device, the switch device configured to be activated by a container positioned adjacent to the door and illuminate the light to provide a visual indication that the particular container is adjacent to the door.

4 . The delivery vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to position a particular container of the one or more containers adjacent to the door based on delivery rout information.

5 . The delivery vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the temperature-controlled compartment comprises three compartments and the conveyor mechanism comprises three conveyor mechanisms, the three compartments including a freezer compartment, a refrigerated compartment, and a room temperature compartment, each of the three compartments having an associated conveyor mechanism.

6 . The delivery vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the three compartments are arranged in a stacked configuration with the refrigerated compartment disposed between the freezer compartment and the room temperature compartment.

7 . The delivery vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the door comprises three doors, one for each of the three compartments.

8 . The delivery vehicle of claim 5 , wherein each of the containers include identification information and the control circuit is configured to operate the conveyor mechanism to position an identified container adjacent to the door in response to reception of the identification information for the identified container.

9 . The delivery vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising a cooling agent disposed on the conveyor mechanism between adjacent containers.

10 . The delivery vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor mechanism is generally oval shaped.

11 . A method for delivery of food products, the method comprising:
moving to a delivery location with a delivery vehicle having a temperature-controlled compartment with one or more containers therein, a door providing access to the temperature-controlled compartment, and a conveyor mechanism disposed at least partially within the temperature-controlled compartment and configured to convey the one or more containers about a continuous path within the temperature-controlled compartment; operating the conveyor mechanism with a control circuit to move a container of the one or more containers disposed thereon to a position adjacent to the door.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising identifying a particular container of the one or more containers as associated with a particular location, and wherein operating the conveyor mechanism with the control circuit comprises operating the conveyor mechanism to position the particular container adjacent to the door based on location data of the delivery vehicle.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising visually indicating that the particular container is positioned adjacent to the door.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein visually indicating that the particular container is positioned adjacent to the door comprises the particular container activating a switch and illuminating a light in response to the switch being activated.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein operating the conveyor mechanism with the control circuit to move the container comprises operating the conveyor mechanism to position the container adjacent to the door based on delivery rout information.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature-controlled compartment comprises three compartments and the conveyor mechanism comprises three conveyor mechanisms, the three compartments including a freezer compartment, a refrigerated compartment, and a room temperature compartment, each of the three compartments having an associated conveyor mechanism; and operating the conveyor mechanism with the control circuit comprises selectively operating each of the conveyor mechanisms to move containers of the one or more containers within each of the three compartments to positions adjacent to the door.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the door comprises three doors, one for each of the three compartments; and further comprising visually indicating whether a container of the one or more containers is positioned adjacent to each of the doors.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving identification information for the one or more containers and receiving particular identification information to request a particular container of the one or more containers; and wherein operating the conveyor mechanism with the control circuit comprises operating the conveyor mechanism to position the particular container adjacent to the door in response to receiving the particular identification information.

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• Wilkinson Bruce W
• Evans Jr Bobby J
• Mattingly Todd D

Classifications

• B60P1/36

  using endless chains or belts thereon · CPC title

• B60P3/20 Primary

  Refrigerated goods vehicles (air treatment of goods space B60H; {air-conditioning means for freight cars, isothermic wagons B61D27/0027; superstructures for refrigerated goods vehicles B62D33/048}) · CPC title

• B60H1/3232

  particularly adapted for load transporting vehicles (B60H1/3226 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/32

  Cooling devices {(B60H1/00478, B60H1/005 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F25D11/04

  specially adapted for storing deep-frozen articles (F25D11/02 takes precedence) · CPC title