GB2588164A

GB2588164A - Storage box and locking unit therefor

Info

Publication number: GB2588164A
Application number: GB1914679.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stubberud Atle
Original assignee: Homeboxx As
Current assignee: Homeboxx As
Priority date: 2019-10-10
Filing date: 2019-10-10
Publication date: 2021-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2039-10-10
Also published as: GB2588164B; GB201914679D0; NO20201096A1

Abstract

A lock unit, e.g. for a storage container for deliveries, the lock unit comprises at least one elongate locking arm 20a/b comprising a first and second elongate sections with a bend 21a/b there-between, locking hooks 24a/b at the distal end of an elongate section engage with a rotational bar of the locking mechanism of the container; a pivot region positioned at or near the bend 21 to allow rotation of the locking arm from a first orientation to a second orientation; the arms are preferably biased to one orientation e.g. by a spring or tongue section; and an actuator rotates the elongate locking arm between the first and second orientation against the biasing force. The actuator may be an elongate rod member with major and minor axes such that when the major axis engages with the end of the arm (Fig 8) the arm is pivoted and the locking hooks disengage with the container and when the minor axis engages with the arm (Fig 7) the looking hooks engage with the container to lock the lid shut. Preferably there is an electronic keypad etc. to allow a delivery person to open the container and leave a package.

Description

Storage Box and Locking Unit Therefor The present disclosure relates to a locking mechanism for a housing or container wherein remote unlocking of the container, and in particular unlocking of the container by a third party, can be achieved. The disclosure also provides a mechanism of allowing two containers to be opened in unison, thereby allowing a third party access to both containers at the same time.

As the pace of life increases, it is becoming common to receive more and more items by means of a delivery service. Postal deliveries have been well-known for many years, and with the rise in internet shopping it is becoming increasingly popular to order items online and then have these delivered directly. Problems can arise when the recipient is not at home, as this can lead to significant inconvenience for all parties; either a second delivery must be attempted at a different time, or the person who ordered the item must go and collect this from the Post Office or other storage facility. Delivery services are beginning to extend into the food and perishable goods sector. Many people are choosing to purchase their groceries online, thus enjoying the convenience of having these delivered to their door, rather than spending time travelling to a specific supermarket, selecting their own goods and then returning home therewith. Having items delivered can be much more convenient and allows for the recipient to choose what is required from the comfort of an internet portal, or other ordering means, and then await the appropriate delivery.

When it comes it delivery of any goods, it is most convenient to provide the opportunity to the delivery firm of being able to leave the items at the delivery point even when the recipient is not at home. One key advantage of ordering items for delivery, is that these can be delivered at any time by a delivery service; the recipient can therefore benefit from greater flexibility and freedom when shopping. Of course, if the items to be delivered are valuable or need to be kept at a particular temperature, for example fresh food items including meat and fish, it is necessary to provide a secure (perhaps temperature controlled) container or unit into which the delivery firm can provide the items. The problems of having dozens, or even hundreds, of different lockable containers which the delivery firm must interact with to make normal deliveries, will be obvious: * either the delivery company must have a universal key, thus significantly reducing security should said key be lost, or * the delivery company must be provided with a different key to access a secure container, which adds significant overhead to the delivery companies' services.

In addition, there are clear advantages in being able to securely store items in multiple containers, for example a first container may have a different environment than the second container, thus allowing for certain goods to be positioned within the respective container. These problems need to be addressed in order to improve the delivery service of valuable or perishable items; the present disclosure is thus primarily directed to a lock unit which solves these issues. In particular, the lock unit may interface with an appropriate container which will allow a delivery company to gain access to said container in a secure manner, in a preferred example into two secure containers in unison, in order to make appropriate deliveries. By means of the lock unit according to claim 1, this is possible.

The lock unit of the present invention comprises: at least one elongate locking arm comprising a first elongate section and a second elongate section with a bend there-between, locking means provided at the distal end of one of the first or second elongate sections; a pivot region positioned at or near the bend in the elongate locking arm, at which the elongate locking arm is affixed in a rotatable manner in the lock unit, the pivot region configured to allow rotation of the locking arm from a first orientation to a second orientation; biasing means which are configured to bias the locking arm to either of the first or second orientations; and actuating means which act on the elongate locking arm to rotate the elongate locking arm between the first and second orientation against the force from the biasing means.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

Fig. 1 shows a container which can benefit from the lock unit according to

the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the lock unit of the present disclosure interacting with locking means of two containers as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a cutaway perspective view of a lock unit of the present

disclosure.

Fig. 4 shows a different frontal cutaway view of the lock unit according to

the present disclosure.

Fig. 5a shows the locking mechanism in the closed orientation Fig. 5b shows the locking mechanism in the open orientation Fig. 6a shows a different view of the locking mechanism in the closed orientation Fig. 6b shows a similar view to Fig 6a of the locking mechanism in the open orientation Fig. 7 shows a double container unit

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 generally shows a container 2 with which the present disclosure can interface and relate. In particular, the container 2 can take any form that is intended to be provided with a lid 45 or door 47 to allow closable access to the interior of the container 2. One particular concept for the container 2 is that of a storage box which may be left out in a public place and into which a third party may place items which have been ordered and/or purchased and are being delivered. As such, it will be appreciated that it is advantageous if the container 2 has some form of means to limit unlawful entry into the container 2, this is primarily achieved by providing a lock to keep the lid 45 or door 47 of the container 2 closed. It will be appreciated that when valuable goods are placed in the container 2, the owner of the container 2 would like to ensure that the items cannot be accessed by an unauthorised third party before the owner can return and retrieve the items. Providing the container 2 with the lockable lid 45 or door 47, will allow the delivery person to deliver the goods and then close and lock the lid 45 or door 47, thus ensuring that the delivered goods will still be present when the owner returns. It will be clear that the container 2 could be used for mail deliveries, it is also possible to provide this as a container 2 into which groceries may be delivered from a supermarket or home delivery service; this is achieved by allowing the delivery personnel to have some form of access to the container 2 so as to be able to leave the shopping therein. It is further possible to provide the container 2 with a refrigeration unit or a heating unit, such that the internal temperature of the container 2 may be regulated thus allowing the delivery of perishable goods with guaranteed storage at the correct temperature.

The container 2 can be considered as a "smart device" and integrating with the IoT (Internet of Things) technology and infrastructure. To this end, the container 2 can be connected to the internet and controlled remotely, either by the owner or from a central provider. This system would allow the user to see when deliveries or collections had been made, provide information on the temperature and environment in the container 2, allow the user to control the environment and temperature or other adjustable elements of the container 2 remotely. The user may also add in new deliveries/collections, or cancel unwanted access to the container 2. The container 2 is thus provided with an internal power source, or connections for external power; furthermore, the container 2 has appropriate electronics to allow for said temperature/environment/access control of the container 2 via the internet. In order to minimise the overhead, the container 2 may also have limited computing power and data storage, wherein the main computing and control can be provided by cloud-based solutions, holding most of the computing power and controlling the container 2 via an internet, or other proprietary, data connection.

The concepts of the container 2 are well applicable to integration with current delivery infrastructures -the mail, package and grocery delivery, as well as for new and innovative "home shopping" markets. As well as allowing for delivery of items, it will also be appreciated that the container 2 could be used to provide a secure pick-up location -for example, if an item is to be returned by the container 2 owner to the seller, the container 2 provides a storage location into which the collection agent (likely also a delivery service) can gain access to pick up said item without bothering the container 2 owner. Additionally, the container 2 supports home businesses: the container 2 owner would be able to send deliveries from home by leaving these for collection by a courier service, without having to liaise with the courier and ensure that the container 2 owner is at home when the courier arrives.

For the delivery of home shopping, groceries or mail and storage in the container 2, one will appreciate that a lock provided by means of a key would be detrimental to the entire delivery service. It would be possible for every container 2 to have the same lock (or one of a limited number of locks), thus making it easier for the delivery personnel to ensure delivery; this would also have the significant drawback of making it relatively easy for third parties to illicitly enter the container 2. Alternatively, the delivery personnel must carry a large number of individual keys and associate these with the appropriate container 2, in order to make the delivery; this would, however, provide a much more secure system, as each lock and key combination would be unique.

The lack of security, or burden of carrying many keys, is addressed in the present application by means of the lock unit 1 shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The lock unit 1 is provided to ensure access to the container 2 only by authorised people.

Obviously the owner of the container 2 has access thereto, however it is possible by means of a number of different mechanisms to allow delivery personnel to also have access to the container 2. As can be seen in Figs. 1 and 3, one possible mechanism of providing the entry to the container 2 is by means of a keypad 43.

The keypad 43 could have a known code which is shared by the owner of the container 2 with the trusted delivery personnel, and the delivery could then safely be made and stored in the container 2. It will also be appreciated that the code for the keypad 43 could change cyclically, or it could be programmed for a single delivery/entry into the container 2, such that the delivery personnel can only access the container 2 once. After using the code, the code will then change or be reset to a master code known only by the owner of the unit, the lid 45 or door 47 would then be permanently locked until the owner returned. Other possibilities for gaining access to the container could be the use of a wireless or Bluetooth® interface 44. The delivery personnel could be provided with a onetime access key by means of a text message, or any other wireless communication to the delivery personnel, and then by means of a remote control or Bluetooth® connection through a mobile phone, or the like, the delivery personnel could open the lock unit 1 and gain access to the container 2. As above, the code could be a single use code to allow only a single delivery, thereby ensuring that even the delivery personnel can gain access to the container 2 only once. Biometric scanners could also be utilised, perhaps with pre-stored biometric information held at a trusted vendor of the delivery agent being sent to the container 2 to allow a known delivery agent access to the container 2, perhaps limited to a single use.

As can be seen in each of Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the locking element 40 of the container 2 is positioned at the top front of the container 2 just underneath the lid 45. Of course, if the container 2 were of a different design, perhaps having a front opening door 47, the locking element 40 would have a different orientation. The specific orientation given in the figures is by way of example only, and will readily be adapted to different orientations of the container 2 as required. The locking element 40 is so configured that when the lid 45 or door 47 is closed, the locking element 40 engages with elements on the lid 45 or door 47 thus providing an interaction between the locking element 40 and the lip 45 or door 47.

In the figures, the locking element 40 is provided with a hook-like element 48 which is positioned around a bar forming the locking element 40. The hook element 48 is configured and positioned such that it will interact with a receiving element positioned on the lid 45 or door 47, in particular this interaction occurs when the lid 45 or door 47 is closed and/or in the closed orientation. Specifically, the bar making up the locking element 40 is held rotationally in the container 2; as the lid 45 or door 47 is opened, the locking element 40 can rotate and the hook element 48 is able to disengage from the receiving element as the lid 45 or door 47 is (being) opened. It will thus become apparent that in order to lock the lid 45 or door 47 in position, one need only stop rotation of the locking element 40 once the lid 45 or door 47 is closed. If the locking element 40 cannot rotate, the hook element 48 remains engaged with the receiving element and holds/locks the lid 44 or door 47 in a closed orientation. By allowing rotation of the locking element 40, the lid 45 or door 47 is once again released and can be opened as described above.

It will be appreciated that the hook element 48 and receiving element are by way of example only. Any conceivable mechanism by which the rotation of the locking element 40 can be stopped, will ensure that the lid 45 or door 47 cannot be opened until the locking element 40 is released and can rotate freely. In order to ensure that the locking element 40, in particular the hook element 48, does not rotate out of alignment with the receiving element on the lid 45 or door 47, it is possible to provide a return spring or other biasing means (not shown in the figures) to ensure that the locking element 40 rotates to a desired and known position to allow the lid 45 or door 47 to open; this system then ensures that the locking element 40 will not rotate away from this orientation until the lid 45 or door 47 is once again closed and the interaction between the hook element 48, or other interacting means, with the receiving element.

The mechanism by which the rotation of the locking element 40 is fixed can be seen in each of Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The lock unit 1 of the present disclosure, which is an independent element and is inventive in and of itself, is so designed that it will interact with the locking element 40 and prohibit rotation when the lock unit 1 is locked. By unlocking the lock unit 1, the lock unit 1 allows free rotation of the locking element 40, thus allowing access to the container 2 as described above. The following disclosure relates to the lock unit 1 in particular, and it is noted that the lock unit 1 is intended to be standalone item which provides a ready mechanism of providing locking elements or a locking means, in a simple yet effective mechanical solution. The use of the lock unit 1 with the container 2 is specifically one example in which the lock unit 1 is advantageous, however the lock unit 1 is intended to be a separate unit which need not be connected to the container 2. The skilled artisan will realise from the following disclosure that the lock unit 1 has many different alternative applications, and no restriction of the lock unit 1 to being present with the container 2 should be inferred.

Considering Fig. 2, the key elements of the lock unit 1 can be clearly seen. In particular, the lock unit 1 comprises at least one elongate locking arm 20; this elongate locking arm 20 provides the direct locking means for interaction with the container 2, and in particular the locking element 40 thereof. As mentioned above, the Figures show interaction of the lock unit 1 with the container 2 described above, however the skilled person will appreciate that the teachings of the lock unit 1 provide a locking action which can be used in a variety of different environments. For example, the following disclosure will relate to the lock unit 1 stopping rotation of the locking element 40 by means of a mechanical interaction between locking means 24 of the elongate locking arm 20, and an engagement member 4 at the end of the locking element 40. Of course, the locking means 24 could also be provided to fit within a flange or abut against a lip of a simple door lock, thus stopping the disengagement of the locking means 24 from said flange or lip and thereby locking a door in this manner. The skilled person will appreciate many different possibilities for utilising the locking means 24 of the lock unit 1 as described; it is not necessary for the locking means 24 to be limited to the concepts which stop rotational movement of the locking element 40 in the lock conceived for the container 2 above.

As will be noted from Fig. 2, the elongate locking arm 20 comprises a first elongate section 22 and a second elongate section 23. In the figures, in particular Fig. 2, the first elongate section 22 is shown as being longer than the second elongate section 23. This is one embodiment which is useful for ensuring that precise control over the movement of the locking means 24 can be secured. It will also be appreciated that the first and second elongate sections 22, 23 may have the same length.

Looking at Fig. 2, the elongate locking arm 20 is provided with a bend 21 at the region between the first elongate section 22 and the second elongate section 23.

In the lock unit 1, the bend 21 is located at a pivot region 30 of/in the lock unit 1, wherein the pivot region 30 is a section of the lock unit 1 around which the elongate locking arm 20 is intended to rotate. In Fig. 2, two positional orientations of the elongate locking arm 20 can be seen. In the first orientation, wherein the first elongate sections 22 are located closer together, the second elongate section 23 is oriented in such a manner that the locking means 24 are extending outwardly and can be used to interact with an element to be locked. In the examples shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, it is evident that the locking means 24 interact with a slot 42 provided on the engagement member 4 of the locking element 40. The provision of the locking means 24 being a flange or extension and the engagement member 4 comprising a slot 42, is one simple mechanism of ensuring that the locking means 24 can stop rotation of the locking element 40. As discussed above, by ensuring that the locking element 40 cannot rotate, which is achieved by the flange of the locking means 24 being positioned in the slot 42, the lid 45 or door 47 of the container 2 cannot be opened. As already mentioned above, the flange of the locking means 24 could also interact with a simple slot or other flange on the side of a lid 45 or door 47, thus stopping the lid 45 or door 47 from opening.

When the elongate locking arm 20 is rotated from a first orientation (described above in which the first elongate sections 22 are closer together), to a second orientation (shown in Fig. 2 as being where the first elongate sections 22 are spaced apart), the second elongate section 23 is so positioned that the locking means 24 no longer interact with the slot 42 on the engagement member 4. In this way, by rotating the elongate locking arm 20 from the first to second orientation, the locking means 24 can be engaged and disengaged from the item to be locked, in the example shown in the Figures this is the slot 42 on the engagement member 4. It will also be appreciated that the slot 42 and flange is one option only. The orientation of these two items could be reversed, with a slot being provided in the elongate locking arm 20 and an extension being provided on the engagement member 4. Additionally, a hole, blind hole or indent could be provided on either the engagement member 4 or the locking means 24, and an appropriately shaped projection or lug provided on the other item would then ensure that engagement between the two could be selectively chosen for locking and unlocking the lock unit 1. As can be seen from the above, the present disclosure provides a lock unit 1 in which a simple mechanical rotation of the elongate locking arm 20, allows engagement and disengagement of the locking means 24 with the item to be locked, in this case the locking element 40.

It will be appreciated from Fig. 2, that the elongate locking arm 20 is generally held within the lock unit 1 around the pivot region 30, and in particular it is held generally in the region surrounding the bend 21. By allowing the elongate locking arm 20 to pivot around the bend 21, the second elongate section 23 can be readily moved into and out of alignment, in order to lock or unlock the lock unit 1. It is anticipated that the lock unit 1 of the present disclosure provides a normally closed lock, thereby ensuring that in the event of failure of the power controlling the lock unit 1 (the electrical means controlling movement of the elongate locking arm 20 will be described below), the lid 45 or door 47 of the container 2, or whatever else is being locked, will be held in locked engagement to avoid third parties gaining access to the stored goods. When the owner returns and discovers that electricity has failed, the owner can then change the electricity supply and still gain access to the container 2.

In order to ensure that the lock unit 1 always provides the locked arrangement, biasing means 10 are provided on the elongate locking arm 20 or in the lock unit 1 or on an element of the lock unit 1. The biasing means 10 are so structured that the elongate locking arm 20 will always be held in the lock unit 1 in the locked orientation, unless the lock unit 1 is specifically opening the lock as will be discussed below. A number of different options exist for ensuring that the elongate locking arm 20 is in the normally locked position. For example, a compression or tension spring could be provided between the elongate locking arm 20 and the lock unit 1, in order to ensure that the elongate locking arm 20 is in the correct orientation to provide constant locking. Alternatively, a flexible member may be attached to the appropriate section of the elongate locking arm 20 and the lock unit 1, or element thereof, such that rotation of the elongate locking arm 20 causes the flexible member to bend: this bending thus provides a return bias to move the elongate locking arm 20 from the second orientation (which is the lock open orientation in the present discussion) where the flexible member is being bent, to the first orientation (which is the locked orientation) where the flexible element is either not being bent or is under a lower bending stress.

A final option for providing the biasing action is as shown in Figs. 2 to 4, and especially in Figs. 5a and 5b. In this embodiment, the second elongate section 23 of the elongate locking arm 20 is provided with an approximately U-shaped slot therein so as to provide a tongue element 38. This tongue element 38 can be affixed to the lock unit 1, or an element therein, and this provides the fixation point of the elongate locking arm 20 in the lock unit 1. It will be appreciated that by holding the tongue 38 stable and in position with the remainder of the lock unit 1, and then rotating the remainder of the elongate locking arm 20 around the pivot region 30, or in particular the bend 21, the tongue 38 will be placed under a bending force, and will naturally provide the return force to move the elongate locking arm 20 from the second, unlocked, orientation to the first, locked, orientation. In this design, the tongue 38 can be held by means of one or more rivets, pins or screws to the lock unit 1, thus holding the elongate locking arm 20 in position. Moving the end of the first elongate section 22 leads to the bending of the tongue 38 and rotation around the bend 21 of the elongate locking arm 20, thus moving the second elongate section 23 into and out of locking alignment. In this manner, the skilled person will appreciate the simple mechanical locking mechanism shown in Figs. 5a and 5b.

In order to move the elongate locking arm 20, the lock unit 1 comprises actuating means 10. These actuating means interact with the free end of the first elongate section 22, and lead to the first elongate section 22 being moved laterally (in any direction) thus causing the entire elongate locking arm 20 to pivot around the bend 21 at the pivot region 30 in the lock unit 1. In Fig. 2, a servomotor 11 is shown. The servomotor 11 is one example only, and any motor or other item which can appropriately lead to movement of the end of the first elongate section 22 is appropriate. In the disclosed design, the servomotor 11 is useful, as this provides a strong rotational torque, and a well-controlled degree of rotation to the axle of the servomotor 11. This is beneficial in the present case, as it allows precise control of the movement of the elongate locking arm 20 from the first orientation to the second orientation. The lock unit 1 is therefore intended to be a powered lock unit 1, either by means of mains electricity, an internal generator, solar power or battery power, or the like. The advantage of using the servomotor 11, is that this tends to draw power only when in movement, and furthermore can be provided with extremely low power thus allowing the lock unit 1 to be used for long periods of time, therefore allowing for low energy solutions to provide the electrical power.

As can be seen in Fig 2 and 6a and 6b, the servomotor 11 is provided with a rotatable element 12 thereon. In Figs. 2 and 6, the rotatable element 12 is generally shown as an elongate bar which will move from the horizontal orientation of Fig. 6a to the vertical orientation in Fig. 6b. By rotation of the rotatable element 12, it is clear that the elongate locking arm 20 moves from the first orientation (rotatable element 12 is horizontal as in Fig. 6a) to the second orientation (rotatable element 12 is in the vertical orientation according to Fig. 6b). The provision of the bar-like form is one example. In particular, the lock unit 1 benefits from having a rotatable element 12 which has a shape comprising a major and minor axis. For example, it is possible for the rotatable element 12 to have an oval shape moving the ends of the first elongate section 22 together and further apart, thus leading to rotation of the elongate locking arm 20 and engagement and disengagement of the locking means 24. Any shape which performs this interaction with the first elongate sections 22 is appropriate, however it will be understood an oval, or bar-like structure is the simplest form. Furthermore, the bar-like form may be provided with two wheels or ball bearings at either end thereof, thus ensuring low friction sliding of the rotatable element 12 over the elongate locking arm 20 when moving the rotatable element from the horizontal to vertical orientation, as shown in Figs. 6a and 6b.

As mentioned above, the servomotor 11 can be readily configured to rotate the rotatable element 12 by a chosen number of degrees. The simplest mechanism in the lock unit 1 is to consider the servomotor 11 rotating the rotatable element 12 from 00 to 900, as shown in Fig. 6, thereby ensuring maximum movement of the elongate locking arm 20, in particular the first elongate section 22 thereof. Of course, other rotation amounts are appropriate, this would just lead to less rotational movement of the elongate locking arm 20. It will become clear considering the two orientations in Fig. 6a and 6b, and the discussion of the biasing means 36, that the elongate locking arm 20 will generally be held in the first orientation, that is the orientation in which the rotatable element 12 is horizontal in Fig. 6a. When the rotatable element 12 is moved to the vertical position, according to Fig. 6b, the rotatable element 12 acts against the biasing force of the biasing means 36, and thus forces the rotatable locking arm 20 to rotate around the bend 21 at the pivot region 30 of the lock unit 1. When the servomotor 11 is driven in reverse, such that the rotatable element 12 moves from the vertical to the horizontal alignment, again shown in Fig. 2, the biasing means 36 will act to push the first elongate section 22 against the rotatable element 12 thus leading to the rotatable locking arm 20 bending back into the first, locked, orientation.

The locking means 24 are shown in Figs. 2 to 6 as an extending flange. The locking means 24 in the figures are shown as a flange extending at approximately 900 from the longitudinal axis of the second elongate section 23. This is by way of example only. Evidently, the flange 24 may extend at an angle of between 70° and 1100, or between 800 and 1000 or, as disclosed, around 900. The degree of bend of the locking means 24 will be chosen depending upon the final embodiment for the lock unit 1. Whilst the figures show the flange for the locking means 24, it will also be clear that other lugs or slots, as appropriate, can be provided appropriate angles of projection and the like.

As will be apparent from each of Figs. 2 to 6, the lock unit 1 of the present disclosure can also be structured to ensure that two locking means 24 are provided. As can be seen in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, the concept of the lock unit 1 can work particularly well when two elongate locking arms 20a, 20b are provided.

Each of the elongate locking 20a, 20b is provided with its own bend 21a, 21b and respective first and second elongate sections 22, 23. Furthermore, each elongate locking arm 20a, 20b is provided with its own locking means 24a, 24b. The idea behind such a lock unit 1, is that two locking actions can be performed in unison; this thereby allows for two separate units, for example the containers 2 described above, to be locked at the same time by means of a single lock unit 1. This is particularly beneficial when providing food supplies to a customer: a first container 2 could be held at one temperature, the second container 2 could be held at a different temperature, and the appropriate goods can be put in the appropriate containers 2. It will be seen from Figs. 2 and 6 in particular, that the entire system has mirror symmetry along the horizontal plane passing through the rotation axle of the server motor 11, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 6.

The two elongate locking arm 20a, 20b are preferably the same, however they are mounted to the lock unit 1, or element therein, in opposite orientations, such that in the first orientation, the two ends of the respective first elongate sections 22 move toward each other, thus ensuring that both locking means 24a, 24b are in the locked alignment position. Each end of the elongate locking arm 20a, 20b is positioned adjacent the rotatable element 12, such that rotation of the rotatable element 12 from the horizontal to vertical orientation, as seen in Fig. 6a and 6b, will lead to the two ends of the respective first elongate sections 22 moving apart; in this way, both of the elongate locking arms 20a, 20b will rotate around their respective bends 21a, 21b, thus leading to the respective locking means 24a, 24b being moved out of locking alignment to allow the unlocking of two lids 45 or doors 47 in unison. This is clearly advantageous when delivering items, as only one locking code, or the like, need be sent to the delivery personnel to allow access to multiple containers 2.

One can appreciate that the system shown in Figs. 2 to 6, relates to a duplicate of the container 2 as seen in Fig. 1, wherein the container 2 will fit on the left hand side of the lock unit 1 shown in Fig. 1, thus meaning that two containers 2 will form a storage unit 6. This can be seen in Fig. 7. This storage unit 6 comprises the two containers 2 either side of a single lock unit 1, wherein each of the containers 2 comprise their own locking elements 40, as described above, and will appropriately engage by their own engagement members 4 with the respective locking means 24a, 24b of the lock unit 1. One of the advantages of the current lock unit 1 is that this can be installed with a single container 2 solution and then, at a later time, the second container 2 may be attached thereto to provide the dual solution of the storage unit 6, shown in Fig. 7. This modification requires no changes to the lock unit 1, which is already adapted to interact with both containers 2, and thus adds significant flexibility to the system to allow for expansion at a later date. It will be appreciated that the containers 2 described above are intended to have the lock unit 1 which has the redundant dual locking capability from the outset, thus allowing for this extension of service.

As most clearly seen in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, each of the elongate locking arms 20a, 20b is attached to a U-shaped frame 31 within the lock unit 1. This frame element 31 provides the fixation point and pivot region 30 for the elongate locking arms 20 in the locking unit 1. In particular, the elongate locking arms 20 are attached to the long arms 39 of the U-shaped frame 31, and the biasing means 36 are provided between the respective elongate locking arm 20a, 20b and the U-shaped frame 31. In the design shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the tongue 38 of the biasing means 36 is held by means of two pop rivets, or other fixing means, to the frame 31. Movement or rotation of the servomotor 11 will lead the elongate locking arm 20 to rotate around the bend 21, which is positioned adjacent the inner side of the U-shaped frame 31, and will thus allow the elongate locking arm 20a, 20b to rotate from the first orientation to the second orientation. The use of the tongue 30 and pop rivets above is exemplary only, as discussed above other biasing means 36 are also contemplated. It will be clear that the locking means 24 are positioned on the inside of the U-shaped frame in the unlocked position, and then will extend through two slots 32 provided in the U-shaped frame 31 into locking engagement with the item to be locked. The U-shaped frame 31 represents the item in the lock unit 1 as disclosed above and presents at least part of the pivot region of the lock unit 1. The U-shaped frame 31 also provides the fixation point for the elongate locking arms 20a, 20b as described above, and is held in the lock unit 1 at an appropriate position to allow interaction with the items to be locked.

The above disclosure relates to a lock unit 1 which may be used with the containers 2 or the storage unit 6 as described above. The lock unit 1 provides a self-contained lock unit 1 which, by means of servomotor 11 rotation and mechanical bending and rotation of elongate locking arms 20, will allow the engagement and disengagement of the lock. The disclosure of connecting the elongate locking arm 20 to the frame 31 by means of the tongue 38 is exemplary. It is possible to also provide a fixation point between the elongate locking arms 20a, 20b and the U-shaped frame 31 around or at the bend 21 of the respective elongate locking arms 20a, 20b. By means of a rivet, screw or nut and bolt, the elongate locking arm could be attached in a rotatable manner to the U-shaped frame 31, and the biasing means 36 provided as disclosed above between the U-shaped frame and the elongate locking arm. It would also be possible to have the biasing means 36 between the elongate locking arm 20 and a different element in the lock unit 1, however it is advantageous to have this between the elongate locking arm 20 and the frame 31.

Whilst the above has described specific embodiments and combinations of features, this should not be considered in any limiting fashion. It will be apparent to the skilled artisan that certain mechanical and electrical aspects can be considered in isolation, for example the locking unit 1 and containers 2, and no explicit feature combination should be considered as essential. The skilled person will be well able to determine which are the salient features of each element described, and the advantages of different feature combinations. The invention is, therefore, to be understood as being defined solely by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A lock unit (1) comprising: at least one elongate locking arm (20) comprising a first elongate section (22) and a second elongate section (23) with a bend (21) there-between, locking means (24) provided at the distal end of one of the first (22) or second (23) elongate sections; a pivot region (30) positioned at or near the bend (21) in the elongate locking arm (20), at which the elongate locking arm (20) is affixed in a rotatable manner in the lock unit (1), the pivot region (30) configured to allow rotation of the locking arm (20) from a first orientation to a second orientation; biasing means (36) which are configured to bias the locking arm (20) to either of the first or second orientations; and actuating means (10) which act on the elongate locking arm (20) to rotate the elongate locking arm (20) between the first and second orientation against the force from the biasing means (36).
2. The lock unit (1) of claim 1, wherein the actuating means (10) comprise a rotatable element (12) with a form having a first major axis and a second minor axis, the rotatable element (12) being in contact with the distal end of either the first (22) or second (23) elongate section of the elongate locking arm (20), the rotatable element (12) so sized such that when it is in a first rotational orientation the elongate locking arm (20) is in contact with the rotatable element (12) and the biasing means (36) holds the elongate locking arm (20) in the first orientation against the rotatable element (12), and when the rotatable element (12) is in a second rotational orientation, the elongate locking arm (20) is in contact with the rotatable element (12) and is rotated against the biasing force from the biasing means (36) into the second orientation.
3. The lock unit (1) of claim 2, wherein the rotatable element (12) has a form of one of: a) an oval form b) an elongate, bar-like form with rounded ends c) an elongate, bar-like form with secondary rotatable elements at each of the ends, thereby facilitating sliding movement of the ends along the elongate locking arm (20). 4. 5. 6. 7.
The lock unit (1) of either of claims 2 or 3, wherein the actuating means comprise an electro-motor, in particular a servo-motor (11), which is configured to rotate the rotatable element (12) between the first and second rotational orientations, and wherein the first rotational orientation is offset by 900 from the second rotational orientation.
The lock unit (1) of any one of the previous claims, wherein the first elongate section (22) of the elongate locking arm (20) is longer than the second elongate section (23) and is preferably located adjacent the actuating means (10) such that the actuating means (10) act on the first elongate section (22).
The lock unit (1) of any one of the previous claims, wherein the locking means (24) comprise a flange (25) which extends at an angle from the longitudinal axis of the elongate section to which it is provided, preferably the angle is between 70° and 1100, more preferably 80° to 1000 most preferably, about 900.
The lock unit (1) of any one of the previous claims, wherein the pivot region (30) comprises a rivet, pin or screw holding the elongate locking arm to the lock unit (1) or element within the lock unit (1).
8. The lock unit (1) of any one of the previous claims, wherein the biasing means (36) act between the elongate locking arm (20) and the lock unit (1) or an element within the lock unit (1), the biasing means being one of: a) a compression spring; b) a tension spring; c) a flexible member, one end of which is fixed to the elongate locking arm (20) the other end of which is attached to the lock unit (1) or an element within the lock unit (1) such that rotation of the elongate locking arm (20) flexes the flexible element to provide the bias force; d) a tongue element (38) which is formed by making a U-shaped slot in the elongate locking arm (20), such that the two side extensions of the slot extend along the longitudinal axis of the elongate locking arm (20), the tongue element (38) being attached to the lock unit (1) or an element within the lock unit (1) such that with rotation of the elongate locking arm (20) from the first orientation to the second orientation, the tongue is bent and provides the bias force.
9. The lock unit (1) of any one of the previous claims, comprising two elongate locking arms (20a, 20b), as described in any of claims 1 or 5-7, which are provided in mirror symmetry either side of a plane passing through the actuating means (10), each of the elongate locking arms (20a, 20b) comprising individual pivot points (30a, 30b) and individual biasing means (36a, 36b) as described in any of claims 1 or 5-7, such that the first of the elongate locking arms (20a) is biased away from the second of the elongate locking arms (20b).
10. The lock unit (1) of claim 9 when dependent upon any of claims 2 to 8, wherein the rotatable element (12) of the actuating means is located between the first (20a) and second (20b) elongate locking arms, and is formed such that rotation of the rotatable element (12) leads to rotation of both the first (20a) and second (20b) elongate locking arms around their respective pivot points (30a, 30b) and against their respective biasing means (36a, 36b).
11. The lock unit (1) of either of claims 9 or 10, further comprising a frame element (31), which is the element within the lock unit (1) according to claims 7 and 8, to which each of the elongate locking arms (20a, 20b) is attached at their respective pivot points (30a, 30b) and between which each elongate locking arm's biasing means (36a, 36b) acts, the frame (31) preferably having a generally U-shaped form wherein the elongate locking arms (20a, 20b) are attached to a respective inside of the long arms (39) of the U-shape.
12. The lock unit (1) of claim 11, wherein each of the long arms (39) of the U-shaped frame (31) comprise slots (32) there-though which are sized and located to allow the respective locking means (24a, 24b) of each of the elongate locking arms (20a, 20b) to pass through when each locking arm is in the first orientation.
13. The lock unit (1) of any of the previous claims, wherein the lock unit comprises unlocking means (5) which provides an interface to operate the actuating means so as to move the elongate locking arm (20) or arms (20a, 20b) between the first and second orientation, the unlocking means (5) comprising one or more of: a) a keypad (43); b) a wireless, for example BluetoothC), interface; c) a mechanical key lock; d) a biometric scanner.
14. A container (2) comprising a lid (45) or door (47) and the lock unit (1) of any of the previous claims, wherein the container (2) comprises a locking element (40) which is configured so as to interact with the lid (45) or door (47) of the container (2) when the lid (45) or door (47) is in a closed orientation such that by prohibiting rotation of the locking element (40), the lid (45) or door (47) is locked in the closed orientation and by allowing rotation of the locking element (40), the (45) or door (47) can be opened; wherein the locking element (40) has an engagement member (4) which engages with the locking means (24) of one of the elongate locking arms (20) when the elongate locking arm (20) is in one of the first or second orientations, and which does not engage with the locking means (24) of the one of the elongate locking arms (20) when the elongate locking arm (20) is in the other of the first or second orientations, the engagement member (4) and the locking means (24) being configured to prohibit rotation of the engagement member (4) and locking element (40) when they are in the engaged arrangement.
15. The container (2) according to claim 14, wherein the engagement member (4) is so shaped to receive at least a part of the locking means (24), wherein preferably this interaction is one or more of: a) a slot (42) on the engagement member (4) and an elongate flange on the locking means (24); b) a hole, blind hole or indent on the engagement member (4) and a matching lug or projection on the locking means (24) such that with engagement, the engagement member (4) and locking means (24) cannot rotate with respect to each other c) options a) or b) with the elements reversed.
16. The container (2) according to either of claims 14 or 15, wherein the locking element (40) is biased, preferably by a spring, into an orientation which will allow the lid (45) or door (47) to be moved into the closed position after having been opened.
17. The container (2) of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the locking element (40) comprises a hook element (48) which is configured to interact with a receiving element on the lid (45) or door (47), such that when closing the lid (45) or door (47), the hook element (48) engages with the receiving element thereby allowing the lid (45) or door (47) to be locked by prohibiting rotation of the locking element (40).
18. A storage unit (6) comprising two containers (2) according to either of claims 14 or 15 positioned either side of a lock unit according to any of claims 9 to 13, wherein the respective locking means (24) on each of the elongate locking arms (20a, 20b) is configured to engage with the engagement member (4) of a respective container (2), thus allowing both lids (45) or doors (47) of the respective containers (2) to be locked and unlocked in unison by actuating the lock unit (1).