Patent Publication Number: US-2017352208-A1

Title: Article Delivery Assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIE THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to article delivery assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new article delivery assembly for unattended, trackable and secure delivery of articles. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a box that defines an internal space. A door is hingedly coupled to the box and is positioned to cover an open face of the box. A locking mechanism, a power module, a microprocessor and a reader are coupled to a back of the door. A keypad and a first antenna are coupled to a front of the door. The locking mechanism is selectively couplable to the box. The microprocessor is operationally coupled to the power module. The reader and the keypad are operationally coupled to the microprocessor. The first antenna is operationally coupled to the reader. A fastener, coupled to the box, is configured to attach the box to a substrate. Each of a plurality of tags, readable by the reader, is configured to couple to an article to be positioned in the internal space. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric perspective view of an article delivery assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, a new article delivery assembly embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the article delivery assembly  10  generally comprises a box  12  that defines an internal space  14 . The box  12  has an open face  16 . A door  18  is hingedly coupled to the box  12 . The door  18  is positioned to cover the open face  16  of the box  12 . The box  12  is substantially rectangularly box  12  shaped. The door  18  and the box  12  comprises steel. In one embodiment the door  18  and the box  12  comprises carbon steel. 
     A locking mechanism  20  is coupled to a back  22  of the door  18 . The locking mechanism  20  is selectively couplable to the box  12 . The locking mechanism  20  is positioned to couple to the box  12  to secure the door  18  over the open face  16 . The locking mechanism  20  also is positioned to decouple from the box  12  such that the door  18  is openable. 
     A power module  24  is coupled to the back  22  of the door  18 . The power module  24  comprises at least one battery  26 . A microprocessor  28  is coupled to the back  22  of the door  18 . The microprocessor  28  is operationally coupled to the power module  24 . 
     A keypad  30  is coupled to a front  32  of the door  18 . The keypad  30  is operationally coupled to the microprocessor  28 . The keypad  30  is configured for entry of a code to compel the locking mechanism  20  to decouple from the box  12  so that the door  18  is openable. 
     A reader  34  is coupled to the back  22  of the door  18 . The reader  34  is operationally coupled to the microprocessor  28 . The reader  34  is radio frequency enabled. A first antenna  36  is coupled to the front  32  of the door  18 . The first antenna  36  is operationally coupled to the reader  34 . 
     A fastener  38  is coupled to the box  12 . The fastener  38  is configured to attach the box  12  to a substrate to deter theft of the box  12 . In one embodiment, the fastener  38  comprises a plurality of holes  40  positioned through a bottom of the box  12 . The plurality of holes  40  comprises four holes  40 . In another embodiment, the fastener  38  comprises a recess  42  positioned in the box  12  around a perimeter  44  of the box  12 . The recess  42  is configured to receive a flange that is coupled to the substrate, such that the box  12  is coupled to the substrate. 
     The assembly  10  comprises a plurality of tags  46  that is readable by the reader  34 . Each tag  46  is configured to couple to a respective article that is to be positioned in the internal space  14 . The tags  46  are radio frequency enabled. 
     A second antenna  48  is operationally coupled to the microprocessor  28 . The second antenna  48  is enabled for wireless communication. The second antenna  48  is configured to communicate delivery information to a computer network. 
     A first connector  50  is coupled to the box  12 . The first connector  50  is operationally coupled to the microprocessor  28 . The first connector  50  is configured to couple to a power source. In one embodiment, the first connector  50  is positioned on a side  52  of the box  12 . 
     A second connector  54  is coupled to the box  12 . The second connector  54  is operationally coupled to the microprocessor  28 . The second connector  54  is configured to couple to a computer network. In one embodiment, the second connector  54  is positioned on the side  52  of the box  12 . 
     The present invention also anticipates a bar code that is coupled to the front  32  of the door  18 . The bar code would be configured to be read by a delivery agent for tracking purposes. Additionally, the present invention anticipates a proximity sensor that is coupled to the microprocessor  28 . The proximity sensor would be configured to alert a user of activity near the box  12  via the computer network. 
     In use, the reader  34  is positioned to receive a signal from a respective tag  46  positioned on a respective article. The reader  34  is positioned to relay the signal to the microprocessor  28 . The microprocessor  28  is positioned to compel the locking mechanism  20  to decouple from the box  12  such that the door  18  is openable. Alternatively, the keypad  30  is configured for entry of a code to compel the locking mechanism  20  to decouple from the box  12  to such that the door  18  is openable. The second antenna  48  is configured to communicate delivery information to a user via the computer network. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.