JP2024152746A - Receiving Equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

To receive a shipment from a flying body, such as a shipment transport drone, more accurately in a shorter staying time than before and secure safety.SOLUTION: A shipment receiving installation 10 includes a storage part 20 including a shipment receiving port 21 in an upper end face. The shipment receiving installation 10 further includes a shipment receiving part 30 installed in an upper end part of the storage part 20. The shipment receiving part 30 includes: a loading port from which a shipment P is loaded on one side; and a wall part on the other sides except for the one side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a cargo receiving facility.

In recent years, technology has become known for receiving parcels delivered by unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones at a parcel receiving facility.
The package receiving device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a casing that is long in the vertical direction, a platform that is exposed at an upper opening of the casing and moves up and down inside the casing, a cover member that opens and closes the upper opening of the casing, and a control unit that controls the operation of the platform and the cover member so that the package placed on the platform by the drone can be stored inside the casing. In addition, the drone may be guided using wireless communication technology such as a beacon, if necessary.

Patent No. 6789425

When delivering parcels using unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones, the top priority is to ensure safety by avoiding contact between people and drones. For this reason, there is a demand for ways to shorten the time that drones spend near parcel receiving devices and to allow parcels to be received more accurately.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its objective is to enable accurate receipt of luggage from air vehicles such as cargo-carrying drones in a shorter stay time than before, thereby ensuring safety.

The invention described in claim 1 is characterized in that, as shown in, for example, Figures 1 to 13 and 16, a cargo receiving facility 10 is provided with a storage section 20 having a cargo receiving opening 21 on the upper end surface for receiving cargo P delivered by a cargo carrying drone 3.

According to the invention described in claim 1, the luggage P is stored in the storage section 20 through the luggage receiving opening 21. In other words, the luggage P can be received by the luggage carrying drone 3 simply by dropping the luggage P in and flying away, so the luggage P can be received accurately in a short stay time, making it easier to avoid contact between people and the luggage carrying drone 3, and ensuring safety.

The invention described in claim 2 is, for example, as shown in Figs. 1 to 12 and 16, in the load receiving equipment 10 described in claim 1,
The baggage storage unit 20 further includes a load receiving unit 30 provided at an upper end of the load receiving unit 20.
The cargo receiving section 30 is characterized in that one side of the cargo receiving section 30 is an insertion opening 31 through which the cargo P is inserted, and the other sides except for the one side are wall sections.

The invention described in claim 3 is, for example, as shown in Figs. 1 to 12 and 16, in the load receiving equipment 10 described in claim 1 or 2,
The storage section 20 is characterized in that a lid 22 for opening and closing the loading opening 21 is provided at the upper end thereof.

According to the invention described in claim 3, a lid 22 is provided at the upper end of the storage section 30 to open and close the load receiving opening 21, so that even if rain enters through the opening of the load receiving section 30, the intrusion of rainwater from the load receiving opening 21 into the storage section 20 can be suppressed.

The invention described in claim 4 is, for example, as shown in Figs. 1 to 13 and 16, in the load receiving facility 30 described in any one of claims 1 to 3,
The storage section 20 has a movable floor section 24 (24a to 24e) on which luggage P stored through the luggage receiving opening 21 can be placed and which can move within the storage section 20, and a luggage P removal opening 23 (23a to 23e) formed on the side.

According to the invention described in claim 4, the storage section 20 has a movable floor section 24 (24a to 24e) on which the luggage P stored from the luggage receiving opening 21 can be placed and moved within the storage section 20, and a removal opening 23 (23a to 23e) for the luggage P formed on the side, so that the luggage P stored in the storage section 20 from the luggage receiving opening 21 can move within the storage section 20 to the removal opening 23 while remaining placed on the movable floor section 24, and the luggage P can be removed from the removal opening 23. This allows the position for removing the luggage P to be moved away from the luggage receiving section 30, so that a distance can be maintained between people and the luggage-carrying drone 3, ensuring safety.

The invention described in claim 5 is, for example, as shown in Figs. 10 to 13, in the load receiving equipment 10 described in claim 4,
The moving floor section 24 (24a to 24e) is provided in a plurality of positions in the storage section 20, and the removal openings 23 (23a to 23e) are formed in a plurality of positions on the side surface of the storage section 20,
The multiple movable floor sections 24 are characterized in that they are capable of being interchanged in position within the storage section 20.

According to the invention described in claim 5, multiple movable floor sections 24 are provided within the storage section 20, multiple removal openings 23 are formed on the side of the storage section 20, and the multiple movable floor sections 24 can be swapped within the storage section 20. Therefore, even if a package P is placed on the movable floor section 24 closest to the loading opening 21 (e.g., the fifth movable floor section 24e) and no package P is placed on the movable floor section 24 farthest from the loading opening 21 (e.g., the first to fourth movable floor sections 24a to 24d), it is possible to receive new package P by swapping the movable floor sections 24.

The invention described in claim 6 is, for example, as shown in Figs. 1 to 8, 10 to 13, and 16, in the load receiving equipment 10 described in any one of claims 1 to 5,
The storage section 20 is characterized in that it is longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction.

According to the invention described in claim 6, the storage section 20 is formed to be longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction, so the height position of the cargo receiving section 30 can be made higher. This allows for a greater distance between people and the cargo carrying drone 3, ensuring safety.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, in the load receiving facility 10 according to any one of the first to sixth aspects,
It is characterized by further comprising a communication unit for communicating with the outside and transmitting and receiving information related to the luggage P delivered by the luggage carrying drone 3.

According to the invention described in claim 7, the cargo receiving facility 10 is further provided with a communication unit for communicating with the outside and transmitting and receiving information related to the cargo P delivered by the cargo carrying drone 3. For example, when the storage unit 20 is full, the cargo receiving facility 10 can be stopped, or information about the received cargo P can be sent to the user's smartphone to prompt the user to remove the cargo P, thereby improving the convenience of the cargo receiving facility 10.

The invention described in claim 8 is, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, a load receiving facility 10 according to any one of claims 3 to 7 that refers to claim 2,
The load receiving section 30 further includes a rotation mechanism for changing the orientation of the input port 31 in the load receiving section 30 around a vertical axis of the load receiving section 30,
The rotating mechanism is characterized in that it is provided at the lower end of the storage section 20 or between the storage section 20 and the load receiving section 30.

According to the invention described in claim 8, a rotation mechanism is further provided for changing the orientation of the input port 31 in the load receiving section 30 around the vertical axis of the load receiving section 30. The rotation mechanism is provided at the lower end of the storage section 20 or between the storage section 20 and the load receiving section 30, so that the orientation of the input port 31 in the load receiving section 30 can be changed around the vertical axis of the load receiving section 30 by rotating the storage section 20 itself or by rotating the load receiving section 30 relative to the storage section 20. This allows the orientation of the input port 31 in the load receiving section 30 to be changed according to the direction from which the load carrying drone 3 is flying, making it easier for the load P to enter. As a result, for example, there is no need to adjust the flying direction of the load carrying drone 3 near the load receiving section 30, so that the load P can be received accurately from the flying object such as the load carrying drone 3 in a short stay time, and safety can be ensured.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 16, in the load receiving equipment 10 according to any one of the first to eighth aspects,
The vehicle further includes a running section 50 configured to support the storage section 20 and to be capable of running.

According to the invention described in claim 9, since the storage unit 20 is supported by the running unit 50 configured to be capable of running, the storage unit 20 and the entire load receiving equipment 10 can be moved. As a result, loads can be received anywhere as long as the running unit 50 can run, and the orientation of the input port 31 in the load receiving unit 30 can be changed according to the direction from which the load carrying drone 3 is flying, so that the convenience of the load receiving equipment 10 can be improved and the load P can be received accurately from the air vehicle such as the load carrying drone 3 in a short stay time, ensuring safety.
Furthermore, since the storage unit 20 is supported by the running unit 50, the height position of the cargo receiving unit 30 can be made higher than when it is installed on the ground, so that a distance can be maintained between people and the cargo-carrying drone 3, thereby ensuring safety.

The present invention makes it possible to receive luggage from drones and other flying objects with short residence times and high accuracy, thereby ensuring safety, compared to conventional methods.

FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a form in which luggage is received from a luggage-carrying drone. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a manner in which received luggage is moved within the storage section. FIG. This is a cross-sectional view showing a building in which a cargo receiving facility has been installed. This is a cross-sectional view showing a building in which a cargo receiving facility has been installed. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the top plate. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a package receiving facility for receiving large packages. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a load receiving facility equipped with a swivel mechanism. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a receiving facility that is longer horizontally than vertically. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a replacement mechanism of the moving floor section. FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a mode in which the movable floor section is replaced. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a mode in which the movable floor section is replaced. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the replacement mechanism of the moving floor section. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an installation state of a wire lock device to which a load hoisting wire is attached. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a wire lock device. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the load receiving equipment equipped with a running section.

The following describes the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are subject to various limitations that are technically preferable for implementing the present invention, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples. Note that the directions in the following embodiments and illustrated examples are set solely for the convenience of explanation.

1 to 3, reference numeral 10 denotes a cargo receiving facility. This cargo receiving facility 10 is a facility for receiving cargo P that is delivered by being suspended from a cargo-carrying drone 3, which is an unmanned aerial vehicle, by a cargo hoisting wire 3a, and includes a storage section 20 with a cargo receiving opening on its upper end surface, and a cargo receiving section 30 that is provided at the upper end of the storage section 20 and opens to one side.
The cargo carrying drone 3 has a wire winding section 3b at its lower end for letting out and winding up the cargo hoisting wire 3a. The cargo hoisting wire 3a is only let out when approaching the cargo receiving facility 10 in order to prevent the drone from being blown away by the wind during flight from the delivery base.

In this embodiment, the storage section 20 and the load receiving section 30 are integrally formed. In other words, the storage section 20 and the load receiving section 30 are formed from a common housing, and are separate parts that perform their respective functions. In addition, the housing that constitutes the storage section 20 and the load receiving section 30 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape.

The storage section 20 is formed so that it is longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. In other words, it is formed in a tower shape that rises upward from the installation location. The boundary with the load receiving section 30 is the upper end surface of the storage section 20, and this part is the load receiving opening 21.
The upper end surface of the storage section 20 is inclined so that the edge on the rear side is at the lowest position in height and the edge on the front side is at the highest position in height.
The load receiving opening 21 in this embodiment is configured by an opening frame (not shown) attached along the inner side surface of the housing of the storage section 20. That is, the upper surface of the opening frame is the upper end surface of the storage section 20, and the opening frame is inclined so that the edge on the back side is low and the edge on the front side is high.

A lid 22 for opening and closing the load receiving opening 21 is provided at the upper end of the storage section 20. In this embodiment, the load receiving opening 21 can be closed by either the lid 22 itself fitting inside the opening frame or the lid 22 having a portion that fits inside the opening frame.
The lid 22 is a foldable lid made of two plates connected by a hinge, and is raised upward and folded toward the front side. The lid 22 is also provided with a locking device so that it can be opened and closed when the lock is released.

The left and right sides and the back of the storage section 20 are closed, and the front is partially open. The openings on the front function as a plurality of removal openings 23 (23a to 23e) for removing the luggage P from inside the storage section 20. To explain in more detail, an opening frame divided into areas having a plurality of openings is attached to the position where the opening is formed in the front part of the storage section 20, and each of the openings becomes a plurality of removal openings 23 (23a to 23e). In this embodiment, there are a total of five stages of openings, namely, the first removal opening 23a, the second removal opening 23b, the third removal opening 23c, the fourth removal opening 23d, and the fifth removal opening 23e, in order from the bottom.
A number of doors for opening and closing each of the outlets 23 (23a to 23e) are provided on the front portion of the storage section 20. The multiple doors are rotating plate sections that are hinged at the lower end and rotate up and down to open outward.

The storage section 20 also has a plurality of movable floor sections 24 (24a to 24e) on which baggage P stored through the baggage receiving opening 21 is placed and which can move within the storage section 20. In this embodiment, when baggage P is placed on all of the movable floor sections 24 (24a to 24e), there are a total of five floor sections, which are, in order from the bottom, the first movable floor section 24a, the second movable floor section 24b, the third movable floor section 24c, the fourth movable floor section 24d, and the fifth movable floor section 24e.
Of the multiple movable floor sections 24 (24a to 24e), the first movable floor section 24a is the first movable floor section to receive the load and is located at the lowest position, and is therefore of a non-foldable type. On the other hand, the second to fifth movable floor sections 24e are of a foldable type, which unfold from a folded state when receiving the load P. It is assumed that a mechanism utilizing a known mechanical mechanism is appropriately adopted for unfolding and folding.
In this embodiment, the number of the multiple moving floor sections 24 is the same as the number of the multiple take-out openings 23, but is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. Also, the luggage P placed on the first moving floor section 24a does not necessarily have to be taken out from the first take-out opening 23a, but may be taken out from, for example, the fourth take-out opening 23d (the other take-out openings 23b, 23c, 23e) that is at a height close to a height that an adult can easily reach out (the same applies to the second to fifth moving floor sections 24e).
In this embodiment, the moving floor section 24 is a floor section formed in a plate shape, but this is not limited to this, and the moving floor section 24 may be formed by a multi-joint link mechanism such as a pantograph structure.

The multiple movable floor sections 24 (24a to 24e) are each supported by a pair of left and right dedicated rails 25 (25a to 25e). The pair of left and right dedicated rails 25 (25a to 25e) are provided inside the storage section 20 near the left and right corners on the front side and the left and right corners on the rear side.
The multiple dedicated rails 25 include a first dedicated rail 25 supporting the first moving floor section 24a, a second dedicated rail 25b supporting the second moving floor section 24b, a third dedicated rail 25c supporting the third moving floor section 24c, a fourth dedicated rail 25d supporting the fourth moving floor section 24d, and a fifth dedicated rail 25e supporting the fifth moving floor section 24e.

In this embodiment, a pair of left and right first dedicated rails 25a, a pair of left and right third dedicated rails 25c, and a pair of left and right fifth dedicated rails 25e are provided adjacent to each other at the left and right corners on the front side inside the storage section 20. Of these dedicated rails 25a, 25c, and 25e, the fifth dedicated rail 25e is located closest to the front side, followed by the third dedicated rail 25c, and the first dedicated rail 25a is located closest to the rear side.
Furthermore, a pair of left and right second dedicated rails 25b and a pair of left and right fourth dedicated rails 24d are provided adjacent to each other at the left and right corners on the rear side inside the storage section 20. Of these dedicated rails 24b, 24d, the fourth dedicated rail 25d is located closest to the rear side, and the second dedicated rail 25b is located closest to the front side.

Each dedicated rail 25 (25a to 25e) has a slider that slides along the dedicated rail 25 (25a to 25e). Each moving floor section 24 is disposed between a pair of left and right dedicated rails 25, and is connected to and supported by the slider of each dedicated rail 25. The slider can be stopped from sliding at a predetermined position by a stopper (not shown), and the moving floor section 24 can be kept in a predetermined position. In other words, the moving floor section 24 can be made to wait just below the receiving opening 21 at the upper end of the storage section 20 to receive luggage, or can be made to wait at the removal opening 23 for the user to remove luggage P.

A weight sensor is provided on the sliders of the plurality of moving floor sections 24 (24a to 24e) or the plurality of dedicated rails 25 (25a to 25e) to detect that a package P is placed on the upper surface of each moving floor section 24 (24a to 24e). The control device can transmit notification data of the completion of delivery of the package P based on the information detected by the weight sensor to the communication means of the delivery side via the communication unit.
It should be noted that other detection means such as an infrared sensor or a camera may be provided inside the storage section 20 in place of or in combination with the weight sensor.

The lower end of the storage section 20 is the equipment storage section 26. In this embodiment, at least a control device that controls the operation of the slider and a communication section that communicates with the outside and transmits and receives information related to the package P delivered by the package-carrying drone 3 are stored in this section.

The control device can comprehensively control the operation of each part provided in the storage section 20 based on various programs and various data necessary for smooth receipt of luggage P.
The slider is connected to a wire that is driven by a drive unit (not shown), and the control device can control the drive unit to operate the wire, thereby controlling the operation of the slider.
The control device can also control the opening and closing operation of the lid 22 of the loading opening 21 and the on/off switching of the locking device of the lid 22.
Furthermore, the control device can also control the unfolding and folding operations of the multiple moving floor sections 24 (24b to 24e).

The communication unit may, for example, communicate with the cargo drone 3, or may communicate with a communication unit at a delivery base for the cargo P. It may also communicate with a communication unit such as an IC tag (RFID tag) provided on the cargo P. In other words, communication means are provided not only on the cargo receiving facility 10 side, but also on the delivery side (the cargo drone 3, the IC tag attached to the cargo P, the facilities and equipment of the delivery base, etc.). When communicating with the cargo drone 3, it may be possible to guide the cargo drone 3 using a beacon.
The control device and communication unit are communicatively connected and work together; for example, the communication unit receives information about the approach of a cargo-carrying drone 3 or cargo P, and based on that information, the control device controls the operation of the lid 22 and the slider (i.e., the moving floor unit 24), thereby enabling smooth receipt of the cargo.

As described above, the cargo receiving section 30 is open on one side. In this embodiment, it is open on the back side. This opening is used as an insertion port 31 through which the cargo P delivered by the cargo carrying drone 3 is inserted.
In the present embodiment, the load receiving section 30 is closed except for the rear side. In other words, the common housing constituting the storage section 20 and the load receiving section 30 is not provided on the rear side of the load receiving section 30. As a result, the input port 31 and the load receiving opening 21 communicate with each other through the internal space of the load receiving section 30.

Such a load receiving section 30 has a top plate 32 arranged at a distance above the load receiving opening 21. This top plate 32 is arranged so that the edge on the opening side (the edge on the back side) is higher than the other edges of the top plate (the edge on the front side and the left and right side edges).
More specifically, the rear edge is inclined so that the rear edge is at the highest position and the front edge is at the lowest position. As described above, the upper end surface of the storage section 20 is also inclined so that the rear edge is at the lowest position and the front edge is at the highest position, so that the insertion opening 31 is formed with a wide space between the upper edge and the lower edge. In other words, the insertion opening 31, which is the opening of the cargo receiving section 30, becomes longer in the vertical direction and the opening area becomes wider, making it easier for the cargo P to enter.

The edge on the opening side (edge on the back side) of the top plate 32 consists of a first guide edge 32a extending from one end (left end) toward the center of the top plate, and a second guide edge 32b extending from the other end (right end) toward the center of the top plate.
The space between the end of the first guide edge 32a on the side of the center of the top plate and the end of the second guide edge 32b on the side of the center of the top plate is a catcher guide 32c through which the load-hanging wire 3a suspended from the load-carrying drone 3 passes.
The first guide edge 32a is formed in an arc extending from one end (left end) toward the center of the table top, and bulging out toward the other end.
The second guide edge portion 32b is formed in an arc that bulges out toward one end from the other end (right end) toward the center of the table top.
That is, the edge on the opening side (edge on the back side) of the top plate 32 is formed so as to taper toward the center of the top plate. In particular, since both the first guide edge 32a and the second guide edge 32b are formed in an arc shape, they function to guide the load hoisting wire 3a toward the catcher guide 32c, and the area covering the load receiving opening 21 can be made as large as possible.

The cargo-carrying drone 3 flies in with a cargo P suspended by a cargo-hoisting wire 3a, and when the cargo P is dropped from the drop-in opening 31, the cargo P is positioned below the top plate 32 and the cargo-carrying drone 3 is positioned above the top plate 32.
The load-hanging wire 3a between the load P and the load-carrying drone 3 is disposed above and below the top plate 32. When the load-carrying drone 3 drops the load P from the loading port 31, the load-hanging wire 3a comes into contact with the edge of the opening side (the edge on the back side) of the top plate 32. When the load-carrying drone 3 drops the load P from the loading port 31, the load-hanging wire 3a moves toward the center of the top plate along either the first guide edge 32a or the second guide edge 32b. In other words, the load-hanging wire 3a reaches the catcher guide 32c (or may reach the catcher guide 32c directly).
When the cargo-carrying drone 3 attempts to fly away upward (which may be in a horizontal direction other than the loading port 31 side) with the cargo-hanging wire 3a aligned with the catcher guide 32c, the cargo P gets caught on the underside of the top plate 32.
When the cargo-carrying drone 3 flies away upward (which may be in a horizontal direction different from the loading port 31 side), the cargo P is detached from the cargo-hanging wire 3a and is stored in the storage section 20 through the cargo receiving port 21.

Although not shown in the figure, a return portion may be formed in the area of the first guide edge portion 32a and the second guide edge portion 32b near the catcher guide 32c to prevent the load hoisting wire 3a that has reached the catcher guide 32c from getting caught and coming loose, so that the load hoisting wire 3a will not come loose from the catcher guide 32c even if the load-carrying drone 3 tries to fly away toward the drop-in opening 31.
In this way, the cargo P can be detached from the cargo hoisting wire 3a even if the cargo-carrying drone 3 flies away in any direction except downward. In order to prevent contact between the cargo hoisting wire 3a and the rotor, the cargo-carrying drone 3 does not fly downward when the cargo hoisting wire 3a is located in the catcher guide 32c.

Next, a flow of operations when receiving goods by the goods receiving facility 10 configured as above will be described.
First, information related to the package P is exchanged between the communication unit of the package receiving facility 10 and the communication means of the delivery side, and the operation of each part of the storage unit 20 is controlled by the control device. Information related to the package P may be exchanged including the communication means provided on the package carrying drone 3 side.
The information related to the package P includes, for example, basic information about the package P, information about the scheduled delivery time, and information notifying the completion of delivery.
The basic information of the package P may be, for example, information on the sender and recipient, and information on the contents of the package P (number, size, weight). The control device of the package receiving facility 10 transmits information on the capacity of the storage unit 20 to receive packages when it receives information on the contents of the package P from, for example, the communication means of the delivery side. If the capacity of the storage unit 20 to receive packages is insufficient, a method such as contacting the user from the delivery base may be adopted.

Information related to the package P is exchanged between the communication unit of the package receiving equipment 10 and the communication means of the delivery side, and when the scheduled delivery time approaches (approaching information may be used), as shown in Figures 2(a) and (b), the lid 22 is first opened to open the package receiving opening 21, and the first movable floor section 24a immediately below the package receiving opening 21 goes into a waiting state to receive the package.

When the cargo-carrying drone 3 approaches the cargo-receiving facility 10, it unwinds the cargo-hanging wire 3a from the wire winding section 3b, and suspends the cargo P at a distance from the cargo-carrying drone 3. Then, with the height position of the cargo P aligned with the height position of the loading opening 31, it flies in a direction that allows it to load the cargo P toward the loading opening 31.

As shown in Fig. 2(c), when the luggage P is inserted from the insertion port 31, the load-hanging wire 3a reaches the catcher guide 32c directly or along either the first guide edge 32a or the second guide edge 32b, and the load-carrying drone 3 is positioned above and the luggage P is positioned below the top plate 32. In this state, when the load-carrying drone 3 flies away as shown in Fig. 2(d), the luggage P hits the surface of the top plate 32 and is detached from the load-hanging wire 3a as shown in Fig. 2(e).
The cargo P that has been detached from the cargo hoisting wire 3a enters the storage section 20 through the cargo receiving opening 21 and is placed on the upper surface of the first movable floor section 24a where it has been waiting.

The first movable floor section 24a on which the luggage P is placed is then moved to the height position of one of the multiple take-out openings 23 under the control of the control device. It may be moved to the position of the first take-out opening 23a, or may be moved to a position appropriately determined based on the total number of luggage P to be delivered to the cargo receiving facility 10. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3(a), it is moved to the height position of the fourth take-out opening 23d.

The delivery completion notification is transmitted from the communication section of the receiving facility 10 to the communication means of the delivery side based on the detection means such as the weight sensor described above.
However, this is not limited to the above, and the notification of delivery completion may be sent from the load-carrying drone 3 to the communication means of the delivery side based on a sensor installed on the load-carrying drone 3 that detects that the load P has been detached from the load-hanging wire 3a.
When a delivery completion notice is sent to the communication means of the delivery side, the cover 22 is closed to block the package receiving opening 21.

When information that the second package P will be delivered is acquired, as shown in Fig. 3(b), the second moving floor section 24b unfolds and goes into a standby state directly below the package receiving opening 21. Then, when the second package P is received by the package receiving section 30 in the same manner as the first package P, it is placed on the upper surface of the second moving floor section 24b. Then, the first moving floor section 24a is lowered to the position of the fourth take-out opening 23d, and the second moving floor section 24b is moved to the height position of the fifth take-out opening 23e.
Furthermore, if the first (first) package P is removed before the second (later) package P is delivered, the second (later) package P (i.e., similar to the first package P) will be received and moved by the first movable floor section 24a.

When information that the third package P will be delivered is acquired, the second moving floor section 24b unfolds and goes into a standby state directly below the package receiving opening 21, as shown in Fig. 3(c). Then, when the third package P is received by the package receiving section 30 in the same manner as the first and second packages P, it is placed on the upper surface of the third moving floor section 24c. Then, the first and second moving floor sections 24a, 24b are lowered one by one, and the third moving floor section 24c is moved to the height position of the fifth take-out opening 23e.
As shown in Figures 3(d) to 3(f), the fourth and fifth luggage P are received in the same manner, and the fourth and fifth moving floor sections 24d and 24e are moved in the same manner. That is, as shown in Figure 3(f), luggage P is placed on the upper surfaces of the first to fifth moving floor sections 24a to 24e, respectively, and is lined up one above the other.
Each time a package P is received on each movable floor section 24 and each movable floor section 24 with the package P loaded thereon moves to a height equal to or lower than the fifth movable floor section 24e, the lid 22 closes and the package receiving opening 21 is blocked. The lid 22 is also locked by a locking device. Then, when the next package P is to be delivered, the lid 22 opens again, but as shown in FIG. 3(f), if the storage section 20 is full and cannot receive any more packages, the lid 22 will not open even if a package P is delivered, and the package cannot be received.

When removing luggage P from the storage section 20, if the multiple removal openings 23a-23e face the interior of the room, the multiple removal openings 23a-23e may be opened and closed from the interior side to freely remove luggage P. On the other hand, if the multiple removal openings 23a-23e face the outdoors, the multiple removal openings 23a-23e are provided with locking devices, and the locking devices must be unlocked before removing luggage P. For safety reasons, the locking is not released when the moving floor sections 24a-24e are moving.
The storage section 20 may also be provided with an alarm such as a lamp that indicates which of the outlets 23a to 23e contains the luggage P.

In addition, when the locking device is, for example, an electronic locking device that is linked to a communication unit, it may be communicably connected to an information terminal such as a smartphone used by a user. In other words, the locking device and the information terminal such as a smartphone work together, and the lock can be released from the information terminal such as a smartphone.
When the lock device is linked to an information terminal such as a smartphone, the notification unit such as the lamp described above may not be necessary.
The storage unit 20 may also be provided with a reader that reads code information such as a barcode displayed on an information terminal such as a smartphone.

The above-described cargo receiving equipment 10 can be installed in various locations in buildings 1 and 2, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The building 1 shown in FIG. 4 is a detached house, and the receiving equipment 10 may be provided in the garden 1a or on the balcony 1b. It may also be provided indoors, not outdoors.

When the cargo receiving facility 10 is installed in the garden 1a, there are no particular installation requirements, but it is preferable that the removal opening 23 is installed facing the building 1. In other words, it is desirable that the removal opening 23 does not face the outside of the premises. Since there are no particular installation requirements, it is easy to introduce even in existing houses.

In addition, since there are no particular installation requirements when the cargo receiving equipment 10 is installed on the balcony 1b, it is preferable that the removal port 23 is installed facing the building 1, and it is easy to install on the balcony of an existing house. Installing the cargo receiving equipment 10 on the balcony 1b in this way is effective in cases where there are obstacles to flying the cargo carrying drone 3 near the ground, such as in densely populated residential areas or narrow areas.

When the load receiving equipment 10 is installed indoors, at least the load receiving portion 30 protrudes above the roof 1c, as if it were a chimney (or a shaft or duct). When installed indoors, the load receiving equipment 10 may be formed at a height extending from the floor of the lower floor to above the roof 1c as shown in Fig. 4, or may be formed at a height extending from the floor of the upper floor to above the roof 1c. Also, it may be formed at a height extending from the floor of an attic space with a low ceiling height to above the roof 1c.
When the cargo receiving equipment 10 is installed indoors in this manner, the cargo receiving section 30 is located above the roof 1c, so there is a high degree of freedom in the direction in which the cargo-carrying drone 3 can fly, and this is advantageous in terms of safety and noise. In addition, an outlet 23 is formed in the portion located on each floor, making it possible to take out the cargo P on each floor. It can also be used as a small baggage elevator that allows the movement of items between floors.
In addition, since the multiple movable floor sections 24 can be moved as needed within the range permitted by the length of the storage section 20, only one removal opening 23 may be formed on each floor. For example, if there are five movable floor sections 24, one removal opening 23 may be formed at the position of the highest movable floor section 24 (the fifth movable floor section 24e) on the lower floor. On the other hand, on the upper floors, there is no such condition as on the lower floors, and the removal opening 23 may be formed at any position that is easy for the user to remove.

The building 2 shown in Fig. 5 is, for example, an apartment building or a multi-story building other than a house, and has an outdoor passage 2b on each floor. In the case of the building 2 shown in Fig. 5, the cargo receiving facility 10 is installed on the site 2a (garden 2a) and is formed at a height that spans the upper and lower floors.
The outlet 23 may be formed only on the lower floor (first floor) or may be formed facing the outdoor passage 2b on each floor.
The cargo receiving section 30 is disposed above the roof, but is not limited thereto, and may be disposed below the roof.

According to this embodiment, the following excellent effects are obtained.
That is, the edge on the opening side of the top plate 32 arranged with a gap above the load receiving opening 21 consists of a first guide edge 32a extending from one end toward the center of the top plate, and a second guide edge 32b extending from the other end toward the center of the top plate. The area between the top plate center side end of the first guide edge 32a and the top plate center side end of the second guide edge 32b is a catcher guide 32c through which the load hanging wire 3a suspended from the load carrying drone 3 passes. When the load P suspended by the load hanging wire 3a is inserted into the load receiving section 30 from the opening (inlet 31) of the load receiving section 30, and the load hanging wire 3a is aligned with the catcher guide 32c, when the load carrying drone 3 tries to fly away upward, the load P gets caught on the underside of the top plate 32. Then, when the cargo-carrying drone 3 flies away upward, the cargo P detaches from the cargo-hanging wire 3a, and the cargo P is stored in the storage unit 20 through the cargo receiving opening 21. In other words, the cargo-carrying drone 3 can receive the cargo P simply by dropping the cargo P into the cargo receiving unit 30 and then flying away, so the cargo P can be received accurately in a short stay time, making it easier to avoid contact between people and the cargo-carrying drone 3, and ensuring safety.

The top plate 32 is also positioned so that the edge on the opening side is higher than the other edges of the top plate 32, so that the opening of the cargo receiving section 30 is longer in the vertical direction and has a wider opening area, making it easier to receive cargo P suspended by the cargo hoisting wires 3a. This allows cargo P to be received accurately from an aircraft such as a cargo-carrying drone 3 in a short stay time, ensuring safety.

In addition, the upper end surface of the storage section 20 is inclined so that the edge located below the edge of the opening side of the top plate 32 is at the lowest height position, so that the opening of the cargo receiving section 30 becomes longer in the vertical direction and the opening area becomes wider, making it easier to receive the cargo P suspended by the cargo hoisting wires 3a. This makes it possible to accurately receive the cargo P from an aircraft such as a cargo-carrying drone 3 in a short stay time, thereby ensuring safety.
Furthermore, since a lid 22 for opening and closing the load receiving opening 21 is provided at the upper end of the storage section 30, even if rain enters through the opening of the load receiving section 30, the intrusion of rainwater from the load receiving opening 21 into the storage section 20 can be suppressed.

The storage unit 20 also has a movable floor section 24 (24a-24e) on which luggage P stored from the luggage receiving opening 21 can be placed and moved within the storage unit 20, and a removal opening 23 (23a-23e) for luggage P formed on the side, so that luggage P stored in the storage unit 20 from the luggage receiving opening 21 can move within the storage unit 20 to the removal opening 23 while remaining placed on the movable floor section 24, and the luggage P can be removed from the removal opening 23. This allows the position from which the luggage P is removed to be moved away from the luggage receiving unit 30, allowing for a distance to be maintained between people and the luggage-carrying drone 3, ensuring safety.

In addition, because the storage section 20 is longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction, the height position of the cargo receiving section 30 can be raised. This allows for a greater distance between people and the cargo-carrying drone 3, ensuring safety.

In addition, the cargo receiving facility 10 is further equipped with a communication unit for communicating with the outside world and transmitting and receiving information related to the cargo P delivered by the cargo-carrying drone 3. For example, the cargo receiving facility 10 can cancel the receipt of the cargo when the storage unit 20 is full, or can send information about the received cargo P to the user's smartphone to prompt the user to remove the cargo P, thereby improving the convenience of the cargo receiving facility 10.

[Modifications]
The embodiments to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Modifications are described below. The following modifications may be combined as far as possible. In each of the following modifications, elements common to the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted or simplified.

[Modification 1]
The information regarding the cargo P exchanged between the communication unit of the cargo receiving equipment 10 and the communication means of the delivery side may include approach information notifying that the cargo-carrying drone 3 has approached the cargo receiving equipment 10, guidance information (signals) related to guiding the cargo-carrying drone 3 using communication technology such as a beacon, image information in the case where a camera is installed on the cargo-carrying drone 3, etc.
The approach information is transmitted to the cargo receiving equipment 10 from the cargo drone 3 or from a delivery base that has acquired GPS information of the cargo drone 3. The cargo receiving equipment 10 that has received the approach information turns off the locking device of the lid 22 and opens the lid 22. It also unfolds the foldable mobile floor section 24.
The above-mentioned guidance information (signal) uses communication technology such as beacons, and information can be exchanged between the parent unit installed on the cargo receiving equipment 10 side and the child unit installed on the cargo-carrying drone 3, allowing the child unit to be guided toward the parent unit.
The image information allows the user to check whether the lid 22 of the storage unit 20 is open or whether the luggage P has been placed in the luggage receiving unit 30. For this reason, it is desirable for the top plate 32 to be made of a transparent (see-through) plate material.

[Modification 2]
In the above embodiment, both the first guide edge portion 32a and the second guide edge portion 32b were formed in an arc shape, but in this modified example, the first guide edge portion 320a and the second guide edge portion 320b of the top plate 320 are formed in a straight line, as shown in Figure 6.
That is, the first guide edge 320a is formed in a straight line from one end (left end) toward the center of the tabletop, and the second guide edge 320b is formed in a straight line from the other end (right end) toward the center of the tabletop. Therefore, the load hoisting wire 3a moves in a straight line toward the catcher guide 32c, which has the advantage of making it easier to guide the load hoisting wire 3a.

[Modification 3]
The cargo receiving equipment 10 in the above embodiment is configured with five upper and lower movable floor sections 24 provided inside the storage section 20 and capable of receiving a total of five cargoes P, but the cargo receiving equipment 10A in this modified example, as shown in Fig. 7, is configured with three upper and lower movable floor sections 24 provided inside the storage section 20 and capable of receiving a total of three cargoes P. Accordingly, a total of three take-out openings 23A are formed, each with a door.

Each of the take-out openings 23A is formed to have a longer vertical dimension than each of the take-out openings 23 in the above embodiment. Therefore, the load receiving equipment 10A of this modification can receive loads P with a longer vertical dimension than the load receiving equipment 10 of the above embodiment. In other words, it can receive loads P of a larger size.
In addition, the vertical dimension of the insertion opening 31 is longer than the vertical dimension of the removal opening 23, and the left-right dimension of the insertion opening 31 is set to be approximately equal to the left-right dimension of the removal opening 23.

The receiving equipment 10A in this modified example has the same casing size as the receiving equipment 10 in the above embodiment, so only the vertical dimensions of the outlet 23 can be made longer, but the width and depth dimensions may also be made longer without making the casing size the same.

The cargo receiving equipment 10A of this modified example may be installed alone in the buildings 1 and 2, or may be installed together with the cargo receiving equipment 10 of the above embodiment. If the site cannot be secured for the installation of two cargo receiving equipment 10 and 10A, removal openings 23 with different vertical dimensions may be formed on the front and rear sides of one cargo receiving equipment 10 (10A). In this case, the number of cargo P that can be received is changed as appropriate, and the operation of the moving floor section 24 is controlled as appropriate by the control device.

Furthermore, as described above, when two receiving facilities 10, 10A, one for large items and one for normal-sized items, are installed side by side, or when one receiving facility 10 (10A) is used to handle both large items and normal-sized items, the control devices in both receiving facilities 10, 10A may be linked or integrated.
The information regarding the package P transmitted from the delivery side's communication means includes information regarding the weight of the package P, and the control device in the receiving facility 10, 10A can determine which receiving facility 10, 10A is appropriate for receiving the package based on the weight information.
Since the receiving equipment 10A for large packages can also receive normal size packages P, when the receiving equipment 10 for normal size packages is full, it is determined that the package will be received at the receiving equipment 10A for large packages. On the other hand, since the receiving equipment 10 for normal size packages cannot receive large packages, when the receiving equipment 10A for large packages is full, information that the package cannot be received is transmitted to the delivery side via the communication unit, and the receipt of the package is put on hold.
At the same time, similar information is sent to the user (recipient) to encourage him/her to pick up the large package, and redelivery will be performed when space becomes available in the storage section 20 of the package receiving facility 10A for large packages.

[Modification 4]
As shown in Figure 8, the load receiving equipment 10B in this modified example is equipped with a rotation mechanism that enables the orientation of the input port 31 in the load receiving section 30 to be changed around a vertical axis (a virtual axis line) in the load receiving section 30.
The turning mechanism of this modified example is provided at the lower end of the storage unit 20. That is, a turning drive unit for turning the storage unit 20 is provided inside the equipment storage unit 26, which is the part installed on the ground or floor, and the turning drive unit is controlled by the control device.

In this modified example, the information regarding the package P exchanged between the communication unit of the package receiving facility 10 and the communication means of the delivery side includes flight direction information indicating the direction from which the package-carrying drone 3 will arrive.
The flight direction information is transmitted to the cargo receiving equipment 10B from the cargo carrying drone 3 or from a delivery base that has obtained GPS information from the cargo carrying drone 3.
In the cargo receiving equipment 10 that has received the flight direction information, the control device controls the rotation drive unit stored in the equipment storage unit 26 based on the position information of the cargo receiving equipment 10B and the flight direction information of the cargo carrying drone 3, and rotates the storage unit 20. This allows the orientation of the input port 31 in the cargo receiving unit 30 to be changed to match the flight direction information. The cargo receiving equipment 10B then turns off the locking device of the lid 22 and opens the lid 22. It also performs the unfolding operation of the foldable moving floor unit 24.

In this modified example, the swivel mechanism is provided at the lower end of the storage unit 20, but this is not limited thereto, and it may be provided between the storage unit 20 and the load receiving unit 30. In other words, the swivel drive unit is disposed between the upper end of the storage unit 20 and the lower end of the load receiving unit 30, avoiding the load receiving opening 21. This allows the load receiving unit 30 to be swiveled relative to the storage unit 20 while keeping the storage unit 20 in a fixed state.

When two receiving facilities, one for large luggage and one for normal-sized luggage, are installed side by side as described above, the swivel mechanism cannot be operated if the receiving facilities are placed in contact with each other. Therefore, when installing two receiving facilities, one for large luggage and one for normal-sized luggage, it is preferable to place the receiving facilities apart. If the receiving facilities must be placed in contact with each other in a narrow space, the housings of one or both of the receiving facilities can be formed into a cylindrical shape so that the swivel mechanism can be operated.

According to this modified example, a rotation mechanism is further provided for changing the orientation of the opening in the load receiving section 30 around the vertical axis of the load receiving section 30. The rotation mechanism is provided at the lower end of the storage section 20 or between the storage section 20 and the load receiving section 30, so that the orientation of the input port 31 in the load receiving section 30 can be changed around the vertical axis of the load receiving section 30 by rotating the storage section 20 itself or by rotating the load receiving section 30 relative to the storage section 20. This allows the orientation of the input port 31 in the load receiving section 30 to be changed according to the direction from which the load carrying drone 3 is flying, making it easier for the load P to enter. As a result, for example, there is no need to adjust the flying direction of the load carrying drone 3 near the load receiving section 30, so that the load P can be received accurately from the flying object such as the load carrying drone 3 in a short stay time, and safety can be ensured.

[Modification 5]
In the load receiving equipment 10C of this modified example, a storage section 20C is formed so as to be longer in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 9. In other words, the storage section 20C is disposed in a lying state.
The load receiving opening 21C is formed on the upper surface of one end of the storage section 20C in the longitudinal direction. A load receiving section 30 is provided at the position of the load receiving opening 21C.

Although not shown in the figure, the storage section 20C has a plurality of movable floor sections 24 on which luggage P stored through the luggage receiving opening 21 can be placed and moved within the storage section 20, and a plurality of removal openings 23 for luggage P formed on the side.
Each movable floor section 24 is disposed directly below the receiving opening 21C when waiting for the luggage P, and when the luggage P is placed thereon, it lowers and slides toward the other end in the length direction of the storage section 20C. Then, it stops at any one of the multiple removal openings 23 and waits for the luggage P to be removed.
Since the equipment storage section 26C is provided at the lower end of the horizontally long storage section 20C, the volume of the storage space can be made larger than that of a vertically long storage section. Therefore, not only the control device and communication section, but also all of the mechanisms for operating the multiple moving floor sections 24 may be stored in the equipment storage section 26C.

The cargo receiving equipment 10C of this modified example is installed so that at least the cargo receiving section 30 is located in a place where there is little traffic. That is, for example, a partition wall is installed on a balcony, and one side of the partition wall is made into a space with little traffic by providing a locked door, etc. Then, the storage section 20C of the cargo receiving equipment 10C is passed through an opening formed in the lower end of the partition wall, and the cargo receiving section 30 is located in the space on one side of the partition wall.
This makes it easier to avoid spatial contact between people and the cargo-carrying drone 3, thereby ensuring safety.

[Modification 6]
In the above embodiment, the cargo receiving equipment 10 sequentially loads cargo P from the first moving floor section 24a to the fifth moving floor section 24e, and the positions of the cargo P are sequentially lowered to wait for the user to remove the cargo P. In the case of such a cargo receiving equipment 10, problems are unlikely to occur when it is installed in a detached house, but in an apartment building in which multiple households live, the timing of removing the cargo P varies from resident to resident, so if the cargo P on the upper moving floor section 24 is not removed, the lower moving floor section 24 may not be able to receive the cargo. In other words, unless the cargo P on the fifth moving floor section 24e is removed, the fourth moving floor section 24d and the following moving floor sections 24a to 24c cannot receive the cargo even if there is no cargo P on them.
In contrast, the cargo receiving facility 10D of this modified example is provided with an exchange mechanism that exchanges the positions of the multiple movable floor sections 24D (24Da to 24De) as shown in Figures 10 to 12. That is, the exchange mechanism allows the multiple movable floor sections 24Da to 24De to exchange positions within the storage section 20D, and the movable floor section 24D on which no cargo P is placed can be positioned at the top to receive cargo.

In this modified example, the first movable floor 24Da is provided via a pair of sliders SL on a pair of first dedicated rails 25Da provided at a distance from each other on the inner surface of the rear wall portion of the storage section 20D (i.e., the rear side of the housing).
The second moving floor section 24Db is provided via a slider SL on a single second dedicated rail 25Db provided on the inner surface of the right wall (right side of the housing) of the storage section 20D.
The third moving floor section 24Dc is provided via a slider SL on a third dedicated rail 25Dc provided at a distance from the second dedicated rail 25Db on the inner surface of the right wall (right side of the housing) of the storage section 20D.
The fourth moving floor section 24Dd is provided via a slider SL on a fourth dedicated rail 25Dd provided on the inner surface of the left wall (left side of the housing) of the storage section 20D.
The fifth moving floor section 24De is provided via a slider SL on a fifth dedicated rail 25De provided at a distance from the fourth dedicated rail 25Dd on the inner surface of the left wall (left side of the housing) of the storage section 20D.
That is, the first moving floor section 24Da is supported at two points by a pair of first dedicated rails 25Da, and the second to fifth moving floor sections 24Db to 24De are each supported at one point by a single dedicated rail 25Db to 25De. The second to fifth moving floor sections 24Db to 24De, which are supported at one point, are adapted to accommodate relatively light luggage P, and the first moving floor section 24Da, which is supported at two points, is adapted to accommodate relatively heavy luggage P.

In addition, in the above-mentioned receiving equipment 10A for large luggage, the two-point supported movable floor section (a pair of dedicated rails) in this modified example is provided on the rear side wall section, the right side wall section, and the left side wall section of the storage section.

The multiple moving floor sections 24D (24Da to 24De) in this modified example are of a foldable type that unfolds from a folded state when luggage P is received.
Each movable floor section 24D (24Da to 24De) comprises a rectangular main body plate section and a protrusion that is integrally formed with one edge of the main body plate section and protrudes from that edge section toward the slider SL, with the protruding tip portion connected to the slider SL so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.

The first moving floor 24Da is supported at two points by a pair of first dedicated rails 25Da and has two protrusions. However, the first moving floor 24Da may not have two protrusions and the main body plate may be connected to the slider SL so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.
On the other hand, the second to fifth moving floor sections 24Db to 24De are supported at one point by a single dedicated rail 25Db to 25De, and therefore each has one protrusion.

As shown in FIG. 10, the second dedicated rail 25Db and the fourth dedicated rail 25Dd are located closer to the front than the pair of first dedicated rails 25Da and the first moving floor section 24a in the folded state. This allows the first moving floor section 24a in the folded state to move up and down within the storage section 20 regardless of whether the second to fifth moving floor sections 24Db to 24De are in the folded state or unfolded state.

Since each protrusion on the second to fifth moving floor sections 24Db to 24De protrudes from one edge of the main body plate section, when the moving floor section 24D is unfolded from the folded state, a gap 27D the length of the protrusion is formed between the surface of each dedicated rail 25D and one edge of each main body plate section, as shown in Figure 11, for example.
The gap 27D is configured to allow another movable floor section 24D in a folded state provided on the same side of the storage section 20D to pass through. In other words, the gap 27D functions as a space for replacing the movable floor section 24D.
11 as an example, when the third moving floor section 24Dc is in an unfolded state, a gap 27D that is an exchange space is formed. When the baggage P is removed from the second moving floor section 24Db that was located below the third moving floor section 24Dc and the second moving floor section 24Db is in a folded state, it becomes capable of passing through the gap 27D and can move above the third moving floor section 24Dc through the gap 27D.
In addition, the fourth moving floor section 24Dd and the fifth moving floor section 24De can also be interchanged in the same manner.

The main body plate portions of the second to fifth moving floor sections 24Db to 24De are set to a length such that, when unfolded, their tips (the ends opposite the dedicated rail 25D) do not reach the moving floor section 24D on the opposite side.
12 as an example, the tip portions of the second and third moving floor sections 24Db, 24Dc in the unfolded state are disposed at a sufficient distance from the fourth and fifth dedicated rails 25Dd, 25De supporting the fourth and fifth moving floor sections 24Dd, 24De on the opposite side. Therefore, a gap is formed between the tip portions of the second and third moving floor sections 24Db, 24Dc in the unfolded state and the fourth and fifth moving floor sections 24Dd, 24De on the opposite side in the folded state.
In other words, the ends of the second and third movable floor sections 24Db, 24Dc in the unfolded state are set to a length that does not reach the fourth and fifth movable floor sections 24Dd, 24De on the opposite side in the folded state, so that the upward and downward movement of these fourth and fifth movable floor sections 24Dd, 24De on the opposite side is not impeded.

The width of the main body plate is set to be shorter than the distance between one dedicated rail 25D and the other dedicated rail 25D provided on the same side of the storage section 20D.
11 as an example, the main body plate of the second moving floor section 24Db supported by the second dedicated rail 25Db is set to a width dimension that does not reach the third dedicated rail 25Dc. As a result, when the second moving floor section 24Db in the folded state passes through a gap 27D formed on one edge side of the third moving floor section 24Dc in the unfolded state, the second moving floor section 24Db does not come into contact with the protruding portion of the third moving floor section 24Dc, and the upward and downward movement of the second moving floor section 24Db is not hindered.

Furthermore, if another moving floor section 24D is located on the rotation orbit of a moving floor section 24D that is moving from below to above, they will come into contact with each other and will not be able to be folded. In other words, the positions of the moving floor sections 24D cannot be swapped. Therefore, the moving floor section 24D that is about to move and the moving floor section 24D located above it are temporarily moved upward to secure a folding space for the moving floor section 24D that is about to move, and then the moving floor section 24D that is about to move is placed in the folded state.
12 as an example, when the baggage P is taken out of the take-out opening 23D, the second moving floor section 24Db to be moved and the third to fifth moving floor sections 24Dc to 24De located above it are moved upward to secure a folding space, and the second moving floor section 24Db is folded. The second moving floor section 24Db in the folded state moves upward through the gap 27D, which is a replacement space for the third moving floor section 24Dc on the same side. The third to fifth moving floor sections 24Dc to 24De located above the second moving floor section 24Db move downward in sequence. Then, the second moving floor section 24Db that has moved above the other moving floor sections 24D is placed in a state of waiting to receive the baggage under the control of the control device.

According to this modified example, the multiple movable floor sections 24D can be swapped within the storage section 20D, so that even if, for example, a package P is placed on the movable floor section 24D (fifth movable floor section 24De) closest to the receiving opening 21D and no package P is placed on the movable floor section 24D (first to fourth movable floor sections 24Da to 24Dd) farthest from the receiving opening 21D, it is possible to receive new package P by swapping the movable floor sections 24D.

13 shows another example of the replacement mechanism. In this example, a plurality of moving floor sections 240D are provided via a pair of sliders SL on a pair of dedicated rails 250D provided at intervals on the inner surfaces of the front, back, left side, and right side of the storage section 200D (i.e., the housing).
More specifically, each moving floor section 240D is disposed between a pair of dedicated rails 250D, and can move up and down in the vertical direction with the dedicated rails 250D between them as a swapping space (gap 270D). In addition, one dedicated rail 250D provided on one adjacent inner surface and the other dedicated rail 250D provided on the other inner surface are disposed slightly offset from each other in a plan view, so that when the moving floor section 240D is deployed, it does not come into contact with the other dedicated rail 250D provided on the adjacent inner surface. In other words, it is possible to prevent the deployment and folding operation of one moving floor section 240D from being hindered by the other moving floor section 240D or the dedicated rail 250D.
Furthermore, since the pair of dedicated rails 250D on each inner surface are spaced apart from each other, removal of luggage P from the removal opening 230D is less likely to be hindered.

[Modification 7]
14 and 15, the communication means of the delivery side in this modified example includes a delivery module 40 that is attached to the package P and to which the load-hanging wire 3a of the load-carrying drone 3 is connected. This delivery module 40 is configured to be able to communicate with the communication unit of the load-receiving facility 10 and the communication means of the delivery base.

The delivery module 40 has necessary functions housed inside the housing 41. The housing 41 is formed in a rectangular shape in a planar cross-sectional view. It has a first side surface 41a, a second side surface 41b perpendicular to the first side surface 41a, a third side surface 41c perpendicular to the second side surface 41b and parallel to the first side surface 41a, and a fourth side surface 41d perpendicular to the first side surface 41a and the third side surface 41c and parallel to the second side surface 41b.
The housing 41 accommodates a first belt winder 42, a second belt winder 43, a control unit 44, a battery 45, and a wire lock unit 46 inside.

The first belt winding section 42 is for unwinding and winding the first fixing belt 42a, and is disposed inside the first side surface 41a of the housing 41. A slit through which the first fixing belt 42a passes is formed in the first side surface 41a of the housing 41, and a tip portion 42b of the first fixing belt 42a is always protruding from the slit. The first fixing belt 42a can be pulled out by pinching the tip portion 42b with fingers.
A slit through which the tip 42b of the first fixing belt 42a passes is formed in the third side surface 41c of the housing 41, and a belt locking portion is provided on the inside of the slit. That is, the first fixing belt 42a is disposed from the first side surface 41a toward the third side surface 41c of the housing 41, and the tip 42b can be locked to the housing 41.
15(b), a recess is formed on the third side surface 41c of the underside of the housing 41, and a belt release button 42c constituting the above-mentioned belt locking portion is provided at the position of the recess so as to protrude downward. By pressing the belt release button 42c upward, the tip portion 42b is released from the belt locking portion, and the first fixed belt 42a is wound up by the first belt winding portion 42.

The second belt winding section 43 is for unwinding and winding the second fixing belt 43a, and is disposed inside the second side surface 41b of the housing 41. A slit through which the second fixing belt 43a passes is formed in the second side surface 41b of the housing 41, and the tip portion 43b of the second fixing belt 43a is always protruding from the slit. The tip portion 43b can be pinched with fingers to pull out the second fixing belt 43a.
A slit through which the tip 43b of the second fixing belt 43a passes is formed in the fourth side surface 41d of the housing 41, and a belt locking portion is provided inside the slit. That is, the second fixing belt 43a is disposed from the second side surface 41b toward the fourth side surface 41d of the housing 41, and the tip 43b can be locked to the housing 41. In addition, the tip 43b is released from the belt locking portion by pressing a belt release button (not shown), and the second fixing belt 43a is wound up by the second belt winding portion 43.

The first fixing belt 42a is arranged from the first side 41a to the third side 41c of the housing 41, and the second fixing belt 43a is arranged from the second side 41b to the fourth side 41d of the housing 41, so that if the delivery module 40 is positioned at the center of the top surface of the luggage P, the luggage P can be held by the first fixing belt 42a and the second fixing belt 43a.
In addition, since the first fixing belt 42a and the second fixing belt 43a are always wound up by the first belt winding portion 42 and the second belt winding portion 43, even if the size or shape of the luggage P is not fixed, it can be held within the range allowed by the length of each fixing belt 42a, 43a.

The control unit 44 is disposed on the inside of the third side surface 41 c of the housing 41 .
Such a control unit 44 has a communication unit for communicating with the communication unit of the receiving facility 10 and the communication means of the delivery base, and can control the communication unit, for example, to communicate with the receiving facility 10 when approaching the receiving facility 10, or to communicate with the delivery base when the wire lock unit 46 is released.

The battery 45 is disposed inside the fourth side surface 41 d of the housing 41 .
Such a battery 45 is intended to supply the power required for the control and communication of the control unit 44, as well as the power required to perform other functions.

The wire lock section 46 has a clamping section 47 that clamps the lower end of the load-hanging wire 3a, and a holding section 48 into which the clamping section 47 is inserted to hold the clamping section 47 and the lower end of the load-hanging wire 3a.

The clamping portion 47 includes a shaft portion 47a, a head portion 47b, a wire hole 47c, and a locking portion 47d. The head portion 47b is disposed above the top surface of the housing 41. An opening is formed in the top surface of the housing 41, through which the shaft portion 47a passes.

Before the shaft 47a is inserted into the insertion hole 48a of the holding part 48, the diameter of the upper end and the diameter of the lower end are approximately equal. When the shaft 47a is inserted into the insertion hole 48a of the holding part 48, it deforms so that it gradually becomes thinner toward the lower end. In other words, the shaft 47a is elastic.

The head 47b is integrally formed with the shaft 47a and has a larger diameter than the shaft 47a. The head 47b does not have to be elastic.

The wire hole 47c is formed penetrating from the lower end surface of the shaft 47a to the upper end surface of the head 47b, and the load hoisting wire 3a is passed through it. In this modified example, it is a through hole, but it may be formed as a through hole in the head 47b and as a slit in the shaft 47a. In addition, a fastener is integrally formed at the lower end of the load hoisting wire 3a, with a diameter larger than the diameter of the load hoisting wire 3a and smaller than the minimum inner diameter of the wire hole 47c.

The locking portion 47d is a claw-shaped portion integrally formed on the side of the shaft portion 47a, and is inserted into the groove portion 48b formed in the insertion hole 48a of the holding portion 48.

The holding portion 48 has an insertion hole 48a into which the clamping portion 47 is inserted, and a groove portion 48b formed on the inner surface of the insertion hole 48a. The holding portion 48 is disposed in the center inside the housing 41.

The insertion hole 48a is formed so that it gradually becomes thinner toward the bottom end. The shaft portion 47a of the clamping portion 47 is inserted into it. Because the shaft portion 47a has elasticity as described above, when it is inserted into the insertion hole 48a, it deforms so that it gradually becomes thinner toward the bottom end.

The groove 48b is formed on the inner side surface of the insertion hole 48a, and the locking portion 47d of the shaft portion 47a is inserted into the groove 48b. The groove 48b in this modified example is formed so as not to penetrate the upper surface of the holding portion 48, so that the locking portion 47d can be hooked therein. However, this is not limited to this, and the groove 48b may penetrate the upper surface of the holding portion 48. In that case, the locking portion 47d will be hooked on the upper surface of the housing 41.
By inserting the locking portion 47d into the groove portion 48b, the shaft portion 47a can be prevented from slipping out of the insertion hole 48a.

An annular abutment portion 41e is integrally formed on the upper surface of the housing 41. The load-hanging wire 3a fits into the catcher guide 32c, and abuts against the underside of the top plate 32 when the load-carrying drone 3 tries to fly away.
An opening through which the shaft portion 47a of the clamping portion 47 passes is located at the bottom of a hole formed in the center of the annular contact portion 41e, and a head portion 47b is provided in the hole.
The clamping portion 47 is set so that the height position of the upper end when the locking portion 47d is caught on the upper end of the groove portion 48b does not exceed the height position of the upper end of the annular abutment portion 41e. Therefore, when the annular abutment portion 41e abuts on the underside of the top plate 32, if the load-carrying drone 3 tries to fly away further, the shaft portion 47a of the clamping portion 47 comes out of the insertion hole 48a of the holding portion 48. At that time, the shaft portion 47a returns to its pre-deformation state, so the wire through hole 47c is opened and the fastening portion of the load-hanging wire 3a comes out. This allows the load P to be separated from the load-hanging wire 3a.

The bottom surface of the housing 41 has return address information for the delivery module 40 written on it. The return address information may be code information such as a barcode, or may include written information such as an address. This allows the delivery module 40 to be returned simply by removing it from the package P and dropping it into a mailbox.

In addition, in this modified example, by attaching the delivery module 40 to the package P, the package P can be given communication functionality, but the package may also be delivered using a foldable dedicated container that has functions roughly similar to those of the delivery module 40.
The top surface of the special container is provided with the functions of an annular contact portion 41e and a wire lock portion 46, and return address information is printed on the surface. In addition, the special container appropriately includes a control unit 44 and a battery 45. However, the special container does not include the functions related to the belt winders 42, 43 and the fixed belts 42a, 43a.

In this modified example, the wire lock section 46 is configured to include a clamping section 47 and a holding section 48, but is not limited to this. For example, a metal piece that is attracted to a magnet may be attached to the lower end of the hoisting wire 3a, and the wire lock section 46 may be configured as an electromagnet, so that the power supply from the battery 45 is controlled by the control unit 44, and this structure may be used as the wire lock section.

[Modification 8]
The cargo receiving equipment 10 of this modified example includes a running section 50 that is configured to support the storage section 20 and to be capable of running, as shown in Fig. 16. In this modified example, the storage section 20 is placed on the upper surface of the running section 50 and is in a connected state.
The running unit 50 has front wheels 51 and rear wheels 52 (i.e., wheels), a drive unit (not shown) that drives at least one of the front wheels 51 and the rear wheels 52, and a control unit (not shown) that controls and operates the operation of the drive unit and the steering of the front wheels 51. As a result, the running unit 50 is configured to be capable of autonomous running.
The control unit may also have a communication function for communicating with an external operation terminal, which allows the traveling unit 50 to be remotely controlled from the external operation terminal.

The running unit 50 configured as described above can move the storage unit 20 and thus the entire cargo receiving equipment 10. Therefore, the cargo receiving equipment 10 can be moved to various locations within the site (yard) to receive cargo, and can also be used to receive cargo outside the site. Therefore, for example, one cargo receiving equipment 10 may be shared on a regional basis.

In this modified example, the running unit 50 is equipped with wheels 51 and 52, but is not limited to this and may be equipped with caterpillar tracks. This is preferable because it increases the options for where the running unit 50 can run.

In addition, in this modified example, the storage unit 20 may be configured to be removable from the running unit 50. That is, the storage unit 20 in this modified example is detachably connected to the running unit 50. However, this is not limited to this, and the storage unit 20 and the running unit 50 may be formed as a single unit.

According to this modification, the cargo receiving equipment 10 includes a running unit 50 that supports the storage unit 20 and is configured to be able to run, so that it is possible to move the storage unit 20 and, ultimately, the entire cargo receiving equipment 10. As a result, cargo can be received anywhere as long as the running unit 50 can run, and the orientation of the opening in the cargo receiving unit 30 can be changed according to the direction from which the cargo carrying drone 3 is flying, so that the convenience of the cargo receiving equipment 10 can be improved and the cargo P can be received accurately from an aircraft such as a cargo carrying drone 3 in a short stay time, ensuring safety.
Furthermore, since the storage unit 20 is supported by the running unit 50, the height position of the cargo receiving unit 30 can be made higher than when it is installed on the ground, so that a distance can be maintained between people and the cargo-carrying drone 3, thereby ensuring safety.

P Luggage 3 Luggage carrying drone 3a Luggage hoisting wire 3b Wire winding section 10 Luggage receiving equipment 20 Storage section 21 Luggage receiving opening 22 Lid 23 Extraction opening 23a First extraction opening 23b Second extraction opening 23c Third extraction opening 23d Fourth extraction opening 23e Fifth extraction opening 24 Moving floor section 24a First moving floor section 24b Second moving floor section 24c Third moving floor section 24d Fourth moving floor section 24e Fifth moving floor section 25 Dedicated rail 25a First dedicated rail 25b Second dedicated rail 25c Third dedicated rail 25d Fourth dedicated rail 25e Fifth dedicated rail 26 Equipment storage section 30 Luggage receiving section 31 Insertion opening 32 Top plate 32a First guide edge section 32b Second guide edge section 32c Catcher guide

Claims (9)

A cargo receiving facility characterized by having a storage section on the upper end surface with a cargo receiving opening for receiving cargo delivered by a cargo-carrying drone. The receiving facility according to claim 1,
The storage unit further includes a load receiving section provided at an upper end of the storage unit,
The cargo receiving facility is characterized in that one side of the cargo receiving section is an inlet through which cargo is inserted, and the other sides except for the one side are wall sections. The receiving facility according to claim 1 or 2,
A cargo receiving facility characterized in that a lid for opening and closing the cargo receiving opening is provided at an upper end of the storage section. In the receiving facility according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The storage section is characterized in that it has a movable floor section on which luggage stored through the luggage receiving opening can be placed and moved within the storage section, and a luggage removal opening formed on the side. The receiving facility according to claim 4,
The movable floor portion is provided in a plurality of locations within the storage portion, and the removal opening is formed in a plurality of locations on a side surface of the storage portion,
A cargo receiving facility characterized in that the multiple movable floor sections are capable of being interchanged in position within the storage section. In the receiving facility according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The cargo receiving facility is characterized in that the storage section is formed to be longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. The receiving facility according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A cargo receiving facility further comprising a communication unit for communicating with the outside world and transmitting and receiving information related to cargo delivered by the cargo-carrying drone. In the receiving facility according to any one of claims 3 to 7, which refers to claim 2,
The loading device further includes a rotation mechanism for changing the orientation of the insertion opening in the load receiving section around a vertical axis in the load receiving section,
The cargo receiving equipment is characterized in that the rotating mechanism is provided at the lower end of the storage section or between the storage section and the cargo receiving section. The receiving facility according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The cargo receiving facility further comprises a running section configured to support the storage section and to be capable of running.

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