Method for delivery and/or collection of at least one mailing

• US 20150321595A1
• Filed: 05/06/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Inventors: Hempsch, Christoph, Meyer, Daniel, Salomon, Jrg, Shahed, Farhad, Vogel, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 10,780,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/1209 Rural letter-boxes
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/007 for delivery of small articles, e.g. milk, frozen articles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

Described and shown is a method for delivery and/or collection of at least one mailing. In order to reduce the associated cost and effort a vehicle (1) is drives to at least one receptacle (3) through public traffic at least in part and the at least one mailing to be delivered is taken from the vehicle (1) and placed into the receptacle (3) by a transfer device attached to the vehicle (1) and/or the at least one mailing to be collected is brought from the receptacle (3) to the vehicle (1) by the transfer device attached to the vehicle (1).

Claims

1. A method for delivery and/or collection of at least one mailing,

in which a vehicle drives to at least one receptacle through public traffic at least in part and

in which the at least one mailing to be delivered is taken from the vehicle and placed into the receptacle by a transfer device attached to the vehicle and/or the at least one mailing to be collected is brought from the receptacle to the vehicle by the transfer device attached to the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1,

in which a mailing is taken from the vehicle and placed into the receptacle by the transfer device and/or

in which a mailing is brought from the receptacle into the vehicle by the transfer device.

3. The method according to claim 1,

in which the vehicle drives to a receptacle provided on the edge of a property adjacent to a road.

4. The method according to claim 1,

in which the vehicle stops adjacent to the property, more particularly at the curbside.

5. The method according to claim 1,

in which the removal of a mailing from, more particularly out of, the vehicle into the receptacle by means of the transfer device and/or the removal of a mailing from the receptacle to, more particularly into, the vehicle by means of the transfer device is controlled by a control device at least in part.

6. The method according to claim 1,

in which the removal of a mailing from, more particularly out of, the vehicle into the receptacle by means of the transfer device and/or the removal of a mailing from the receptacle to, more particularly into, the vehicle by means of the transfer device is performed autonomously at least in part.

7. The method according to claim 1,

in which the removal of a mailing from, more particularly out of, the vehicle into the receptacle by means of the transfer device and/or the removal of a mailing from the receptacle to, more particularly into, the vehicle by means of the transfer device is controlled according to predefined criteria at least in part.

8. The method according to claim 1,

in which at least one sensor determines the position of the receptacle relative to the vehicle and

in which the vehicle, preferably autonomously, depending on the determined position of the receptacle, relative to the vehicle, is positioned relative to the receptacle in a predefined manner.

9. The method according to claim 8,

in which information concerning the position of the receptacle relative to the vehicle is displayed to the driver of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1,

in which at least one sensor determines the position of the receptacle relative to the transfer device and

in which the transfer device is controlled, preferably autonomously, depending on the determined position of the receptacle relative to the transfer device, in order to remove a mailing from, more particularly out of, the vehicle and place it into the receptacle and/or to remove a mailing from the receptacle to, more particularly into, the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 1,

in which a mailing making use of gravity, preferably by means of at least one roller conveyor and/or a slide, is placed into the receptacle and/or removed from the receptacle and placed into the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 1,

in which at least one gripper arm of the transfer device is used to grab the receptacle, to transport the receptacle to the vehicle, to transport the receptacle to a holder of the receptacle, to place a mailing into the receptacle, to remove a mailing from the receptacle, to grab a mailing made ready in the vehicle and/or to deposit a mailing removed from the receptacle in the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 1,

in which an at least one mailing is placed into the receptacle from above, from in front, from behind and/or from the side.

14. The method according to claim 1,

in which a mailing is removed from the receptacle from above, from the front, from behind, from the side and/or from below.

15. The method according to claim 1,

in which a mailing is placed into the receptacle and/or removed from the receptacle through an access unit, more particularly opening, preferably having dimensions of at least 10 cm, more particularly at least 20 cm.

16. The method according to claim 1,

in which the receptacle, more particularly a closing means for closing an access unit, is opened by an opening unit, preferably the transfer device, for delivery and/or collection of a mailing.

17. The method according to claim 1,

in which the receptacle, more particularly a closing means for closing an access unit, is closed by a closing unit, preferably the transfer device, following the delivery and/or collection of a mailing.

18. The method according to claim 1,

in which a closing mechanism to lock the closing means to the receptacle and/or to unlock the closing means from the receptacle is activated by the transfer device.

19. The method according to claim 1,

in which the transfer device removes the receptacle from, more particularly out of, a holder of the receptacle and conveys it into the vehicle at least in part and

in which a mailing is placed into the receptacle and/or removed from the receptacle when said receptacle is located in the vehicle at least in part.

20. The method according to claim 19,

in which a locking mechanism to lock the receptacle to the holder of the receptacle and/or to unlock the receptacle from the holder of the receptacle is activated by the transfer device.

21. The method according to claim 20,

in which a closing mechanism to lock the locking mechanism and/or to unlock the locking mechanism from the receptacle is activated by the transfer device.

22. The method according to claim 1,

in which the vehicle drives, preferably autonomously, from at least one collection depot to at least one receptacle and from at least one receptacle to a, preferably the same, collection depot and

in which the vehicle is loaded with an at least one mailing to be delivered at the collection depot and/or an at least one mailing that has been collected is unloaded from the vehicle at the collection depot.

23. The method according to claim 22,

in which the mailings at the collection depot, in the vehicle or in the receptacle are combined into one mailing unit to be placed into the same receptacle.

24. The method according to claim 1,

in which mailings are attached to each other and/or combined in a transport unit, preferably of variable size.

25. The method according to claim 1,

in which several mailings are delivered and/or collected,

in which a vehicle drives to several receptacles one after the other through public traffic at least in part and

in which at least one mailing is taken from, more particularly out of, the vehicle by a transfer device attached to the vehicle and placed into at least one receptacle and/or at least one mailing is removed from the at least one receptacle to, more particularly into, the vehicle by the transfer device attached to the vehicle.

26. The method according to claim 25,

in which the vehicle is loaded with mailings in accordance with the scheduled order of receptacles to be visited.

27. The method according to claim 25,

in which the order of receptacles visited differs from the scheduled order of receptacles to be visited.