Abstract:
This invention describes an expandable and collapsible accordion warehouse that is mountable onto the frame of any existing entrance door. This novel design enables man-free pick-up from and delivery into customer sites. Embedded electromechanical authentication and locker mechanism provide ultimate security and prevent unauthorized intrusion. The inner door limits access to be only within warehouse area, upon authentication.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to supply-chain management systems in general, and in particular to design of an accordion warehouse that enables man-free pick-up from supplier sites and man-free delivery into customer premises. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention describes an expandable and collapsible accordion warehouse that is mountable onto the frame of any existing entrance door. This novel design makes man-free pick-up from and delivery into customer sites. Embedded electromechanical authentication and locker mechanisms provide ultimate security and prevent unauthorized intrusion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  illustrates the door-frame-mounted accordion warehouse while in use according to the invention 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  shows the door-frame-mounted accordion warehouse in its fully expanded form 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  illustrates the steps for transitioning the accordion warehouse from a completely collapsed from into its fully expanded form. 
           [0006]      FIG. 4  illustrates the inner-door of the accordion warehouse that prevents unauthenticated access into the store 
           [0007]      FIG. 5  illustrates an electromechanical locker system for the inner door according to the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 6  illustrates the rail mechanism with its components that allow expanding of the accordion warehouse from the outer door towards the inner door in a sliding manner. 
           [0009]      FIG. 7  illustrates sliding of the sub-frames of the accordion warehouse along the rail track via chained wheels 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0010]    This invention describes a novel accordion warehouse  100  that is mountable onto frame  180  of any door. Typically every store or warehouse has some room  190  behind their entrance door frame  180 . This room is utilized to expand the accordion warehouse, when needed. The main benefit of the expandable and collapsible accordion warehouse  100  is that in supply-chain systems submission and delivery of assets can be made without a need for an onsite person. 
         [0011]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the accordion warehouse  100  when fully expanded forms a closed space between the outer door  260  and the inner door  280 . The accordion door consists of multiple sub-frames  271 , a rail track  250 , an inner door, security shield  290  and two legs  200 . The sub-frames  271  provide structural support for the surface  270  of the warehouse and provide flexible movement. The inner door security shield  290  is a preventive measure for unauthorized access inside the inner door. The warehouse owner has entire control of the locker mechanism for the inner door shield  290 . The legs  200  on each side of the inner door make sure the inner door  280  remains in the upright position. The rail tracks  250  help the accordion warehouse collapse and expand along a straight line with ease of movement. 
         [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates transition of the accordion warehouse from a collapsed state into a completely expanded state by moving the sub-frames  271  along the rail track. 
         [0013]    As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the inner door shield  290  on the inner door  280  provides a border for restricted access. A person that makes a delivery into the warehouse or picks up from the warehouse can&#39;t have any access beyond the shield  290 . His authorized access is only limited to the area within the accordion warehouse  100 . Even access to the area within the warehouse is upon authorization by the warehouse owner. 
         [0014]      FIG. 5  illustrates the locker mechanism for the inner door shield  290 . The shield  290  is rolled onto the inner door shield reel  291 . After rolling-out the shield  290 , it needs to be tightened around the edges of the inner door and also locked. The mechanism for these steps works as follows: A gear handle  540  controls a multi-axis gear set  510 . Through rotation of the handle  540  in one direction, the multi-axis gear set  510  controls another gear  520  on one side of the inner door&#39;s frame. Rotation of the gear  520  can slide a gear rack  530  outward or inward. When the gear rack  530  moves inward, a set of vertically placed fasteners  531  start tightening { 501 , 502 , 503 } into the holes on the inner door locker belt  293 . 
         [0015]    As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the outer door  260  along each side contains a wheel-bed  600  that hosts the wheels  251  of the warehouse sub-frames  271  when in collapsed form. While expanding, the wheels  251  are released around a rotor  600  and carried out by the sub-frames  271  along the rail track  250 . The rail track hosts periodically deployed wheel guides  610 . 
         [0016]      FIG. 7  illustrates connection of the warehouse sub-frames  271  to the rail track  251 . Each sub-frame  271  is carried on a wheel, which is guided by the rail track  251 . In summary, when deployed at customer and/or supplier sites, an outsider will only have an access into inside the accordion warehouse after being authenticated by the system. The outsider can be person to pick up from a supplier site with the accordion warehouse or a person to deliver into a customer site with the accordion warehouse. The owner or operator of the accordion warehouse expands the warehouse prior to arrival of the expected outsider person and pulls an electromechanically controlled and secured shield at the inner door to restrict an outsider&#39;s access to only within the accordion warehouse. The outer door is deployed with secure access mechanisms for identification of the expected outsider.