Lock chamber

Details Lock chamber Lock chamber

1998-02-20

2001-01-30

Krizek, Janice L. (Department: 3652)

Freight accommodation on freight carrier

Load bracing means

Panel or frame, wall-to-wall

C296S024430, C410S135000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06179535

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lock chamber, more particularly to such chamber forming a compartment for receiving merchandise at one end and for delivering the loaded merchandise at the other end.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It frequently happens that delivery trucks are retarded in their delivery schedule and arrive at the merchandise receiving dock of a supermarket, a drug store, or any other retail store or the like, out of normal business hours with no personnel available for receiving the merchandise. This can be very expensive to the delivery company, so much so that the delivery trucks often come from a long distance.
OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is therefore the general object of the present invention to provide a lock chamber which will obviate the above mentioned disadvantages.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a lock chamber capable of receiving frozen, and temporarily storing fresh and dry merchandise, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, without the intervention of the merchandise receiving personnel and which can take place with complete safety.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lock chamber of the character described which can be either in the form of a merchandise receiving, theft proof room inside the receiving building, or in the form of a semi-trailer to be parked at the merchandise receiving dock of the receiving supermarket or the like organisation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a locking chamber of the character described provided with adjustable partitions, each provided with locks, for successively receiving merchandises of variable volumes delivered by successive delivery trucks.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lock chamber of the character described provided with means to make it theft-proof and which can be remote controlled by authorised personnel of the shipping company.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lock chamber of the character described which can be selectively refrigerated under the control of the authorised personnel of a delivery company.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The lock chamber of the present invention comprises a storage structure for receiving merchandise having wall means defining a storage compartment therein, said wall means including top and bottom walls, a pair of opposed side walls and a pair opposite first and second end walls, said first end wall defining a merchandise receiving opening and said second end wall defining a merchandise retrieving opening, and a lockable door for each opening, whereby said compartment can be loaded through said merchandise receiving opening and unloaded through said merchandise retrieving opening and each door locked when said compartment contains merchandise.
Preferably, said compartment is elongated and has a uniform cross-sectioned area between said end walls and has openable and closable partitions within said compartment which, when closed, are parallel to said end walls, to form sub-compartments including a first sub-compartment defined by a first partition and the end wall with said merchandise retrieving opening, and partition position adjusting means to adjust the individual position of said partitions relative to one another and relative to said end walls to vary the volume of said subcompartments, whereby said first subcompartment can be loaded with merchandise when all of said partitions are opened and further including blocking devices to block each partition in adjusted position and locks carried by said partitions and operable to unlock said partitions only from their side facing said merchandise retrieving opening whereby said sub-compartments can be successively loaded through said merchandise receiving opening starting from said first sub-compartment with all of said partitions in opened position and the next sub-compartment can be loaded after closing and locking of the partition defining said first sub-compartment and all of said sub-compartments can be unloaded through said merchandise retrieving unlocked and by opening the door of said merchandise retrieving opening and by successively unlocked and opening said partitions.
Preferably, the storage structure is a wheeled trailer including retractable, stabilising, height adjustable struts and hitching means at one end wall for hitching said trailer to a road tractor.
Preferably, the lock chamber further includes an additional merchandise receiving opening made in at least one of said side walls adjacent said one end wall, an additional door for said additional merchandise receiving opening and locking means for said additional door.
Preferably, each door is an overhead door and further including a door operating electric motor for each door.
Preferably, each of said partitions include a pair of panels each having a laterally outer portion and a laterally inner portion, and said partition position adjusting means include a pair of top and bottom parallel tracks extending along and close to each side wall and normal to said end walls, top and bottom sleeve members longitudinally displaceable on and guided by said tracks, and said laterally outer portions of each panel pivoted to said top and bottom sleeve members for movement between an opened position extending along a related side wall and a closed position extending across said compartment and in which said laterally inner portion of said pair of panels meet together, said locks carried by said laterally inner portions of said pair of panels and said blocking means carried by said laterally outer portions of said pair of panels.
Preferably, said third locking means include stop lugs carried by said panel and coming in blocking contact with said side walls in the closed position of said panels.
Preferably, second locking means include a lever pivoted to the laterally inner portion of one panel, a lever retainer fixed to the laterally inner portion of the other panel, both said lever and said lever retainer located at the face of said panels looking towards said merchandise retrieving opening, a spring-loaded plunger carried by said lever retainer and biased towards entrance into a registering hole of said lever to lock said lever within said lever retainer and a lever operating arm secured to said lever and located at the opposite face of said panels to pivot said lever towards its locked position.
Preferably, the lock chamber further includes track supports fixed to said side walls and to said tracks at short intervals, said sleeve members being longitudinally split to clear said supports.
Preferably, the first locking means further includes an electronic circuit system normally stopping operation of the motor operating the door for said merchandise receiving opening and causing said operation when activated by recognition of a personal identification code number.
Preferably, said lock chamber is provided with refrigerating means for refrigerating said compartment, said electronic circuit system also serving to operate said refrigerating means when activated by recognition of a personal identification code number.


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