[0001] The object of the invention is the mechanism of activating the door of a locker in
the cabinet for sending and receiving parcels, particularly letters, electronically
controlled with the signal of a letter and number code or a biometric code.
[0002] There are numerous known solutions of mechanisms activating the doors in collective
letter mail cabinets. For example, the mechanism presented in description
FR2941732 has an electromagnetic motor, which blocks the cam bolt in the opening of the door
casing in the closed door position. In another solution, according to description
DE202004008071, the bolt in the closed door position is blocked with a pivot pushed out by a servomotor
controlled from the electronic system with the number and letter or biometric access
code, or a transponder. It is only possible to open the lock after the servomotor's
movement frees the bolt. There are also devices, for example from description
FR2845718, in which the bolt of the door wing is blocked with a linear electromechanical servomotor
coupled by a system of leveraging agents, which are connected with joints in the flat
kinematic chain.
[0003] Much like in the others, the mechanism of activating the door of the locker in the
sending and receiving cabinet based on this invention has a linear electromagnetic
servomotor coupled with the door wing by a system of leveraging agents, connected
with joints in the flat kinematic chain. The essence of the solution is that the height
of the door is greater than the height of the locker, while the system of agents is
embedded into the partition of the top locker and composed of the following: the connector
of the servomotor with a double-arm rocker, whose active arm is equipped with the
driving pin cooperating with the grooved cam made in the exterior arm, which is connected
to the door. The cam, which is formed into a rounded broken line, is oriented with
the longitudinal axis - which connects the end of the block and the end of the opening
- generally perpendicularly to the door plane, while the servomotor is installed in
the top partition with its axis perpendicular to the door casing. When the servomotor
is withdrawn to its extreme internal location and the door is closed, the projection
of the joints of the kinematic system on the plane of the door casing situates the
following one next to the other in order: the driving pin axis, the hinge axis, the
axis of the coupling socket in the rocker, the servomotor axis, and the rocker extension
axis. The driving pin of the servomotor is weighed down with a tension spring, the
other end of which is connected in a point, whose location allows the axis of the
tension spring to run along the rocker extension axis on the side of the servomotor.
[0004] It is beneficial when the length of the cam exceeds that of the servomotor pitch
and the area near the end of the block located farther from the hinge axis hosts its
locking socket, which is marked with the pressure areas tilting towards each other
and the surface of the block end, from which the pressure surface, with the servomotor
extremely back and locked doors, is directed in a way allowing the perpendicular straight
line to run through the rocker extension axis or to be tilted away from it in the
direction of the servomotor.
[0005] It is also favourable when the axes of the block end and the opening end are tilted
towards the hinge axis and in opposite directions, and the cams in the middle segment
are connected with a groove marked on the side of the hinge axis with the arched opening
surface and the opposite closing surface.
[0006] As a further favourable solution, the axis of the tension spring with the door open
and the servomotor situated in its extreme external location runs along the rocker
extension axis on the side of the door casing.
[0007] The mechanism is equipped with a closed door sensor, which is favourably a hall effect
sensor.
[0008] In the presented solution based on the invention description, the shut door is blocked
by the system of levers, which is immobilised in attempts of external opening by the
driver of the servomotor positioned against the body in its extreme back position.
It is only possible to open the door with the servomotor, which moves forward the
driving pin from the blocking area to the opening area of the cam. It is possible
to close the door both with the servomotor driver and manually.
[0009] The invention is explained through the description of a sample execution of the mechanism
in the illustration, the individual figures of which present the following: the module
of the letter sending and receiving cabinet composed of six lockers from above, Fig.
2 presents the view of the mechanism with the door open from above, Fig. 3 presents
the mechanism fragment with the door closed from above, whereas Fig. 4a, 4b, and 4c
present the following positions of the mechanism: closed door, semi-closed door, and
open door.
[0010] The height h1 of the door 4 is greater than the height h2 of the locker 1. The element
system of the motor of door 4 is embedded in the top partition 2 of the locker 1 and
is composed of the following: servomotor 8, joint 9, and two-armed rocker 10, with
the interactive arm with the driving pin 11. The driving pin 11 interacts with the
grooved cam 6 executed in the exterior arm 5, which is stiffly fixed to the door 4.
The cam 6 is shaped as a rounded broken line, the longitudinal axis O5 of which -
which connects its block end kb and opening end ko - is directed perpendicularly to
the plane of the door 4. The length I of the cam 6 is greater than the pitch s of
the servomotor 8, and contains the closing socket 7, which is marked with the pressure
surfaces Pn inclined towards each other and the surface of the block end Pb, near
the end of block end kb, which is located farther than the hinge axis O1. With the
servomotor 8 in the extreme back position "a" and closed "A" door, the pressure surface
is oriented so that the straight line "n" perpendicular to it passes through the extension
axis of the cam O2. This geometry of the force system present during a break-in attempt
prevents the opening of the door 4 from the outside. The axes of the block end kb
and the opening end ko in the cam 6 are inclined towards the hinge axis 01 and are
situated in opposite directions. In the middle segment, the groove of cam 6 is marked
on the side of the hinge axis 01 with an arched opening surface and opposite closing
surface pz.
[0011] The electromechanical servomotor 8 is fixed on the top partition 2 with its axis
O4 perpendicular to the door casing 3. In the position of the servomotor 8 extremely
back "a" and closed "A" door 4, the projection of the joints of the kinematic system
on the plane of the door casing 3 situates the following in order: the driving pin
axis O3, the hinge axis O1, the coupling socket axis O6 in the cam 10, the servomotor
axis O4, and the rocker extension axis 2. The driving pin 11 of the rocker 10 is weighed
down with the tension spring 13, the other end of which is fixed in point "z", which
is located so that the axis of the tension spring 13 runs along the rocker extension
axis O2 on the side of the servomotor 8. With open "B" door 4 and the extreme external
position "b" of the servomotor 8, the axis of the tension spring 13 runs along the
rocker extension axis O2 on the side of the door casing 3. The mechanism is equipped
with the hall effect sensor 14, which initiates a signal in the closed "A" position
of the door 4.
Illustration legend
[0012]
- 1. Locker
- 2. Top partition
h2 locker height
- 3. Door casing
- 4. Door
A - closed position
B - open position
h1 - door height
O1 - hinge axis
- 5. Extension arm
- 6. Cam
O5 - cam longitudinal axis
l - cam length
kb - block end
ko - opening end
po - opening surface
pz - closing surface
- 7. Locking socket
pn - pressure surface
n-n - straight line perpendicular to the pressure surface
pb - block end surface
- 8. Electromechanical servomotor
O4 - servomotor axis
s - servomotor pitch
a - extreme internal position
b - extreme external position
- 9. Coupling
- 10. Two-armed rocker
O2 - rocker extension axis
- 11. Driving pin
O3 - pin axis
- 12. Coupling socket
O6 - coupling socket axis
- 13. Tension spring
z - hook
- 14. Sensor
- 15. PCB control panel
- 16. Installation panel
1. The mechanism of activating the door of a locker in the cabinet for sending and receiving
parcels, particularly letters, containing a linear electromechanical servomotor coupled
with the door wing through a system of leveraging agents, which are connected with
joints in the flat kinematic chain, characterised in that its door (4) has the height (h1) greater than the height (h2) of the locker (1),
and the system of agents is embedded in the top partition (2) of the locker (1) and
composed of the following: the joint (9) of the servomotor (8) with a two-armed rocker
(10), the active arm of which holds the driving pin (11) interacting with the grooved
cam (6) executed in the exterior arm (5) stiffly fixed to the door (4), while the
cam (6) in the form of a rounded broken line directs its longitudinal axis (O5) -
connecting its block end (kb) and opening end (ko) - perpendicularly to the plane
of the door (4), and the servomotor (8) is fixed on the top partition (2) with its
axis (O4) perpendicular to the door casing (3). Furthermore, with the servomotor (8)
in its extreme back position (a) and closed (A) door (4), the projection of the joints
of the kinematic system on the plane of the door casing (3) situates the following
next to one another in order: the driving pin axis (O3), the hinge axis (O1), the
coupling socket axis (O6) in the rocker (10), the servomotor axis (O4), and the rocker
extension axis (O2). And the driving pin (11) of the rocker (10) is weighed down with
a tension spring (13), the other end of which is connected to point (z), which is
located so that the axis of the tension spring (13) runs along the rocker extension
axis (O2) on the side of servomotor (8).
2. According to claim 1, the mechanism is characterised in that the length (I) of the cam (6) exceeds the pitch (s) of the servomotor (8) and the
area near the end of the block (kb) located farther from the hinge axis (O1) hosts
its locking socket (7), which is marked with the pressure areas tilting towards each
other (Pn) and the surface of the block end (Pb), from which the pressure surface
(Pn), with the servomotor (8) extremely back (a) and locked (A) doors (4), is directed
in a way allowing the perpendicular straight line (n) to run through the rocker extension
axis (O2) or to be tilted away from it in the direction of the servomotor (8).
3. According to claim 2, the mechanism is characterised in that both axes of the block end (kb) and block opening (ko) incline towards the hinge
axis (O1) and are oriented in opposite directions, while in the middle segment of
the cam (6), they are connected with a groove marked on the side of the hinge axis
(O1) with the arched opening surface (po) and the opposite closing surface (pz).
4. According to claim 1, the mechanism is characterised in that with the opened (B) door (4) and extremely external position (b) of the servomotor
(8), the axis of the tension spring (13) runs along the rocker extension axis (O2)
on the side of the door casing (3).
5. According to claim 1, the mechanism is characterised in that it is equipped with a closed (A) door (4) sensor (14), which is favourably a hall
effect sensor.