Storage dispenser for objects

• US 8,145,351 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KEBA AG (KLH Beteiligungs GmbH)
• Original Assignee: KEBA AG (KLH Beteiligungs GmbH)
• Inventors: Schininger, Manfred, Peham, Claus, Schacherl, Ernst
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/663,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20080128444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,405 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/232, 700242-244, 221/2, 221/9, 221/12
• US Class Current: 700/237
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/06 having provision for multiple compartments
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/12 comprising lockable containers, e.g. for accepting clothes to be cleaned
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/26 Interlocks, e.g. for locking the doors of compartments other than that to be used
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage machine (1) for objects, comprising a compartment system (4) with a plurality of compartments (3) which are at least partially enclosed by a machine housing (2) or some other surround, and with at least one closure mechanism (7) which can be displaced relative to a central, predefined access orifice (6) in the machine housing (2) to release or prevent access to a specific individual compartment (3) or a specific group of adjacent compartments (3). The storage machine (1) also has at least one drive system for displacing the closure mechanism (7) in a controlled manner and the ability of the closure mechanism (7) to move is dependent on an access right which can be checked by a control system. This storage machine (1) has at least one safety system (28) for affording extensive, increased personal safety with respect to risks posed by automated sequences or with respect to its displacement drives which can be activated automatically.

Claims

1. A storage machine for objects comprising:

(a) a compartment system comprising a plurality of compartments and at least one closure mechanism;

(b) a machine housing at least partially enclosing said compartments, said machine housing comprising a central predefined access orifice;

(c) at least one drive system for effecting a controlled displacement of the at least one closure mechanism;

(d) a control system; and

(e) at least one safety system to ensure extensive, increased personal safety with respect to risks posed by automated sequences and with respect to automatically activatable moving devices;

wherein said at least one closure mechanism is displaceable relative to the central predefined access orifice in order to permit or prevent access to a specific, individual compartment or to a specific group of adjacent compartments;

wherein the ability of the at least one closure mechanism to move depends on an access right verifiable by the control system;

wherein the at least one safety system comprises a safety switch system having

a manually operated security button for producing at least one automatically driven movement of the at least one closure mechanism selected from the group consisting of a closing movement and an opening movement, and

a timer switch element with a predefined release time for starting at least one operation of the at least one closure mechanism selected from the group consisting of a closing operation and an opening operation so that a limited time is set for effecting the closing movement,

wherein the at least one closure mechanism cannot be automatically directly closed other than if deliberately released and supervised by a user.

2. The storage machine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one safety switch system is mounted at a location out of a child'"'"'s reach.

3. The storage machine according to claim 2, wherein the at least one safety switch system is mounted on the machine housing more than 1 m above a standing plane of the machine.

4. The storage machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compartment system comprises a drive unit and driving power for at least one of the at least one drive system and the drive unit is released or connected by the at least one safety switch system.

5. The storage machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compartment system comprises a drive unit and when the release time has elapsed, power to at least one of the at least one drive system and the drive unit is switched off.

6. The storage machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one closure mechanism comprises a slide element and if the safety switch system is not operated, the slide element is left open and is not automatically closed.

7. The storage machine according to claim 1, wherein an open compartment of the compartment system must be closed by the user before a deposit or removal can be made.

8. The storage machine according to claim 1, wherein the safety switch system or a release switch system for driving power of the at least one drive system comprises additional safety circuits or switch elements operating independently of the control system.

9. The storage machine according to claim 1, wherein the release time of the timer switch element corresponds to a time the at least one closure mechanism usually takes to fully close and when the release time elapses, the at least one closure mechanism is no longer automatically movable into a closed position.

10. The storage machine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one closure mechanism has a closed position and a lock element activatable exclusively during the release time when power is applied to the at least one closure mechanism.

11. Storage machine according to claim 1, wherein a closing operation of the closure mechanism can not take place except in the presence of a valid means of identification such as a magnetic and/or a chip card, which can be inserted in and read by an identification and/or authorization checking means of the machine.

12. Storage machine according to claim 11, wherein an automated closing movement is possible only within a certain period once a user has been successfully identified.

13. Storage machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one monitoring system is provided for monitoring an area in front of the compartment opening of at least one compartment.

14. Storage machine according to claim 13, wherein the monitoring system has at least one camera arrangement.

15. Storage machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one monitoring system is provided for monitoring a reaching-in area through a compartment opening of at least one compartment.

16. Storage machine according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring system has at least one transmitter and/or receiver system for infrared light or for ultrasound.

17. Storage machine according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring system is connected to a central control system of the storage machine or to a control system for the at least one closure mechanism, in particular is coupled with the at least one drive system for control purposes.

18. Storage machine according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring system is provided with at least one photoelectric barrier system, a light screen or a light curtain in front of a compartment opening or in front of the central access orifice in the access direction.

19. Storage machine according to claim 18, wherein the monitoring system has light transmitting and light receiving elements, in particular for infrared light, which are disposed on non-displaceable or non-moved components or portions of the machine housing.

20. The storage machine according to claim 1, wherein the machine housing comprises a compartment opening, wherein the at least one closure mechanism comprises a front end portion, a front closing edge, and a housing-side abutment edge bounding the compartment opening, and wherein a stop or contact bar is provided on the front end portion or in a front portion lying adjacent to the front closing edge by reference to a closing direction and/or on the housing-side abutment edge.

21. Storage machine according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring system (29) or a stop or contact bar (41) prevents or interrupts a closing operation if an obstacle is detected in the monitoring or danger area, or emits a signal in order to re-open the closure mechanism (7).

22. The storage machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the machine housing and the at least one closure mechanism (7) comprises an abutment edge having an elastically flexible and rebounding buffer element.

23. The storage machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the machine housing and the at least one closure mechanism comprises user-grippable closing edges having radii of more than 2 mm.

24. The storage machine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one closure mechanism comprises at least one linearly displaceable slide element having a minimum depth or minimum thickness of approximately 15 mm at least in a front end portion by reference to a closing direction.

25. The storage machine according to claim 24, wherein the at least one linearly displaceable slide element comprises an elastic deflector lip and lies against at least one boundary surface of a compartment opening in a sliding arrangement.

26. The storage machine according to claim 25, wherein the deflector lip forms or subtends an obtuse angle between boundary surfaces of the compartment opening extending at right angles to one another.

27. The storage machine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one closure mechanism comprises at least one slide element lying flush with a boundary surface of the machine housing in a closed state.

28. The storage machine according to claim 27, further comprising a plurality of gaps between the at least one slide element and the machine housing, said gaps being provided with elastically flexible and rebounding blanking or cover elements.

29. The storage machine according to claim 27, further comprising a plurality of gaps between individual slide elements disposed one above the other, said gaps being provided with elastically flexible and rebounding blanking or cover elements.

30. The storage machine according to claim 27, further comprising a plurality of gaps between the at least one slide element and the machine housing and between individual slide elements disposed one above the other, said gaps being provided with elastically flexible and rebounding blanking or cover elements.

31. Storage machine according to claim 1, wherein an optical and/or acoustic signaling element is provided as a means of emitting an optical and/or acoustic warning signal directly before the start of and/or during an automated movement of the closure mechanism, in particular the at least one slide element.

32. The storage machine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one closure mechanism has at least two slide elements disposed one above the other and displaceable separately from one another for controlling or regulating access to the compartments of the compartment system lying behind.

33. The storage machine according to claim 32, wherein at least one protective door covering several slide elements is disposed in front of the at least two slide elements or the central access orifice is entirely disposed in front of the at least two slide elements.

34. The storage machine according to claim 33, wherein the at least one protective door comprises a drive system of at least one of limited speed and limited force for automatically displacing the protective door.

35. The storage machine according to claim 33, wherein the protective door is provided with a tumbler deactivatable by the control system.

36. The storage machine according to claim 33, wherein the protective door is provided with a control mechanism for reliably determining the closed/open status of the protective door.

37. The storage machine according to claim 33, wherein several compartments or several compartment openings are released by the slide elements for depositing objects and during an automatic displacement of the compartment system are covered or secured against access by only the protective door or are protected or blocked off by an active sensor-based monitoring system to prevent contact during a movement of the compartment system.

38. The storage machine according to claim 32, wherein the slide elements have drive systems comprising frictionally retained drives.

39. The storage machine according to claim 32, wherein each slide element is provided with a respective controllably-releasable electromechanical lock element.

40. The storage machine machine according to claim 39, wherein each lock element cannot be released unless a release signal is emitted by the control system and a release signal is simultaneously emitted by a motion monitoring system for the compartment system or a drive unit of the compartment system.

41. The storage machine machine according to claim 39, wherein each lock element has an electric control mechanism wherein the control mechanism does not emit an active release signal for supplying power to a drive unit of the compartment system unless the slide element is fully closed and locked by the lock element.

42. The storage machine machine according to claim 41, wherein the control mechanisms or control outputs of several lock elements for the slide elements are switched or linked so that a drive unit can only be activated for a relative displacement of the compartment system if all the slide elements are closed and locked in their closed position.

43. Storage machine according to claim 1, wherein an electronic detection system is provided for determining the current weight of the entire compartment system and/or individual compartments.

44. Storage machine according to claim 43, wherein the total weight of the compartment system or the weight of at least individual compartments is determined cyclically or as a function of events and the respective values are stored as measurement results.

45. Storage machine according to claim 43, wherein the detection system or one connected to the control system checks whether the total weight of the compartment system or the weight of the relevant compartment has reduced or remains the same after a deposit or removal operation or whether an increase in weight has occurred.

46. Storage machine according to claim 45, wherein an automated closing operation of the closure mechanism takes place only if the determined weight is not higher or is only negligibly higher than the weight prior to the removal.

47. Storage machine according to claim 45, wherein a closing operation is automatically triggered when a reduction in weight is detected.

48. Storage machine according to claim 43, wherein the detection system is designed to prevent overloading or excessive strain.

49. Storage machine according to claim 43, wherein the detection system is provided as a means of detecting or sensing attempts to break into or break open the machine.