Locker system and method for adjusting accommodating space

• US 9,913,535 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lin, Tsang-Gang, Fan, Chen-Jyh, Cheng, Ching-Tsung, Tu, Chao-Hui, Tien, Yung-Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/982,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20170164735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 700242-243
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2220/0091 Electronic or electric devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/00 Cabinets, racks or shelf units, characterised by features for adjusting shelves or partitions shelf units with stackable uprights A47B87/00; details of cabinets, racks or shelf units in general A47B96/00; brackets adjustable in themselves A47B96/07
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/30 Accessories, e.g. signalling devices, lamps, means for leaving messages

Abstract

A locker system includes a body, a driving unit, and a computer unit. The body includes a casing, a separating plate, horizontal plates, vertical plates and covering plates. The separating plate is disposed inside the casing to form an accommodating space and a storage space. The horizontal plates and the vertical plates are disposed inside the accommodating space and cooperate with the casing to form accommodating subspaces. Each covering plate is pivoted to the casing. The driving unit connects to the horizontal plates and the vertical plates. The computer unit obtains the size of an object. When the size of the object exceeds a preset size, the computer unit sends a driving signal to the driving unit, and the driving unit controls at least one horizontal plate or at least one vertical plate to move into the storage space according to the driving signal to accommodate the object.

Claims

1. A locker system, comprising:

a body, comprising;

a casing;

a separating plate, disposed inside the casing so as to divide an interior space of the casing into an accommodating space at one side of the separating plate and a storage space at the other side of the separating plate;

a plurality of horizontal plates;

a plurality of vertical plates, the plurality of horizontal plates and the plurality of vertical plates disposed inside the accommodating space and cooperating with the casing to form a plurality of accommodating subspaces; and

a plurality of covering plates, each covering plate being pivoted to the casing;

a driving unit, connected to the plurality of horizontal plates and the plurality of vertical plates; and

a computer unit, obtaining a size of an object, wherein the size of the object comprises a height and a length of the object, a preset size is stored in the computer unit, the preset size comprises a height and a length of the accommodating subspace, when the size of the object exceeds the preset size, the computer unit sends a driving signal to the driving unit, and the driving unit controls at least one horizontal plate or at least one vertical plate to move into the storage space according to the driving signal, so as to accommodate the object.

2. The locker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer unit comprises:

an image capturing module, capturing an image of the object; and

a computing module, obtaining the size of the object according to the image.

3. The locker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer unit further comprises a human machine interface receiving the size of the object.

4. The locker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a frame disposed in the storage space, and the driving unit comprises a plurality of control modules, the plurality of control modules is respectively fixed to the frame, and the plurality of control modules is respectively fixed to corresponding vertical plates or corresponding horizontal plates, so as to control the corresponding vertical plate or the corresponding horizontal plate to move between the accommodating space and the storage space.

5. The locker system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control module comprises:

a screw rod connected to a first connection component and a second connection component on the frame, the screw rod having screw threads;

a stretchable structure comprising a fixed portion, a first connection portion and a second connection portion, the fixed portion being fixed to the corresponding vertical plate or the corresponding horizontal plate, and the first connection portion and the second connection portion being coupled to the screw threads of the screw rod;

a worm gear fixed on a middle position of the screw rod;

a worm shaft coupled to the worm gear; and

a motor disposed on the frame and connected to the worm shaft, wherein the motor drives the worm shaft to rotate thereby driving the worm gear and the screw rod according to the driving signal, so that the first connection portion and the second connection portion move along the screw threads of the screw rod, and then the stretchable structure drives the corresponding vertical plate or the corresponding horizontal plate to move.

6. The locker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vertical plates or the horizontal plates are stretchable plates, and are made of soft plastic.

7. The locker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when a height of the object is greater than a height of the accommodating subspace, the driving unit drives at least one of the horizontal plates to move into the storage space according to the driving signal of the computer unit, so that at least two accommodating subspaces accommodate the object.

8. The locker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the length of the object is greater than the length of the accommodating subspace, the driving unit drives at least one of the vertical plates to move into the storage space according to the driving signal of the computer unit, so that at least two accommodating subspaces accommodate the object.

9. The locker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the length of the object is greater than the length of the accommodating subspace, and the height of the object is greater than the height of the accommodating subspace, the driving unit drives two of the horizontal plates and two vertical plates adjacent to the two of the horizontal plates to move into the storage space according to the driving signal of the computer unit, so that four accommodating subspaces accommodate the object.

10. The locker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein two electromagnetic locks are disposed on each plate, an engaging ring is disposed on each covering plate, the two electromagnetic locks are electrically connected to the computer unit, and the computer unit controls the electromagnetic lock to lock the engaging ring when the covering plate covers the casing.

11. The locker system as claimed in claim 10, wherein two covering plates at the same horizontal level pivot relative to the casing in two opposite directions, an electromagnetic latch is disposed on one of the two covering plates, a hole is formed on the other one of the two covering plates, and the computer unit controls the electromagnetic latch to insert itself into the hole, so that the two covering plates are fixed to each other.

12. The locker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a plurality of tracks formed on an inner surface of the casing, and the tracks are for guiding and supporting the horizontal plates.

13. A locker system, comprising:

a body, comprising;

a casing;

a separating plate, disposed inside the casing so as to divide an interior space of the casing into an accommodating space at one side of the separating plate and a storage space at the other side of the separating plate;

a plurality of horizontal plates;

a plurality of vertical plates, the plurality of horizontal plates and the plurality of vertical plates disposed inside the accommodating space and cooperating with the casing to form a plurality of accommodating subspaces; and

a plurality of covering plates, each covering plate being pivoted to the casing;

a driving unit, connected to the plurality of horizontal plates; and

a computer unit, obtaining a size of an object, wherein the size of the object comprises a height of the object, a preset size is stored in the computer unit, the preset size comprises a height of the accommodating subspace, when the size of the object exceeds the preset size, the computer unit sends a driving signal to the driving unit, and the driving unit controls at least one vertical plate to move into the storage space according to the driving signal, so as to accommodate the object.

14. A method for adjusting accommodating space, applied to a locker system, wherein the locker system comprises a casing, a separating plate dividing an interior space of the casing into an accommodating space at one side of the separating plate and a storage space at the other side of the separating plate, a plurality of horizontal plates, a plurality of vertical plates and a driving unit, the plurality of horizontal plates and the plurality of vertical plates cooperate with the casing to form a plurality of accommodating subspaces, and the driving unit is connected to the plurality of horizontal plates and the plurality of vertical plates, the method comprises:

obtaining a size of an object;

determining whether the size of the object exceeds a preset size;

when the size of the object exceeds the preset size, sending a driving signal to the driving unit according to the size of the object;

controlling at least one horizontal plate or at least one vertical plate to move into the storage space according to the driving signal such that at least two accommodating subspaces are merged; and

accommodating the object in the at least two accommodating subspaces.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

capturing an image of the object; and

obtaining the size of the object according to the image.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

receiving the size of the object by a human machine interface.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the vertical plates or the horizontal plates are stretchable plates, and are made of soft plastic.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of controlling at least one horizontal plate or at least one vertical plate to move into the storage space according to the driving signal further comprises:

controlling at least one of the horizontal plates to move into the storage space when a height of the object is greater than a height of the accommodating subspace.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of controlling at least one horizontal plate or at least one vertical plate to move into the storage space according to the driving signal further comprises:

controlling at least one of the vertical plates to move into the storage space when a length of the object is greater than a length of the accommodating subspace.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of controlling at least one horizontal plate or at least one vertical plate to move into the storage space according to the driving signal further comprises:

controlling two of the horizontal plates and two vertical plates adjacent to the two of the horizontal plates, to move into the storage space, when a length of the object is greater than a length of the accommodating subspace, and a height of the object is greater than a height of the accommodating subspace.