Door Frame Mounted Expandable/Collapsible Accordion Warehouse

Abstract

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

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to supply-chain management systems in general, and in particular to design of an accordion warehouse that enables man-free pick-up from supplier sites and man-free delivery into customer premises.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention describes an expandable and collapsible accordion warehouse that is mountable onto the frame of any existing entrance door. This novel design makes man-free pick-up from and delivery into customer sites. Embedded electromechanical authentication and locker mechanisms provide ultimate security and prevent unauthorized intrusion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the door-frame-mounted accordion warehouse while in use according to the invention

FIG. 2 shows the door-frame-mounted accordion warehouse in its fully expanded form

FIG. 3 illustrates the steps for transitioning the accordion warehouse from a completely collapsed from into its fully expanded form.

FIG. 4 illustrates the inner-door of the accordion warehouse that prevents unauthenticated access into the store

FIG. 5 illustrates an electromechanical locker system for the inner door according to the invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates the rail mechanism with its components that allow expanding of the accordion warehouse from the outer door towards the inner door in a sliding manner.

FIG. 7 illustrates sliding of the sub-frames of the accordion warehouse along the rail track via chained wheels

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

This invention describes a novel accordion warehouse 100 that is mountable onto frame 180 of any door. Typically every store or warehouse has some room 190 behind their entrance door frame 180. This room is utilized to expand the accordion warehouse, when needed. The main benefit of the expandable and collapsible accordion warehouse 100 is that in supply-chain systems submission and delivery of assets can be made without a need for an onsite person.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the accordion warehouse 100 when fully expanded forms a closed space between the outer door 260 and the inner door 280. The accordion door consists of multiple sub-frames 271, a rail track 250, an inner door, security shield 290 and two legs 200. The sub-frames 271 provide structural support for the surface 270 of the warehouse and provide flexible movement. The inner door security shield 290 is a preventive measure for unauthorized access inside the inner door. The warehouse owner has entire control of the locker mechanism for the inner door shield 290. The legs 200 on each side of the inner door make sure the inner door 280 remains in the upright position. The rail tracks 250 help the accordion warehouse collapse and expand along a straight line with ease of movement.

FIG. 3 illustrates transition of the accordion warehouse from a collapsed state into a completely expanded state by moving the sub-frames 271 along the rail track.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the inner door shield 290 on the inner door 280 provides a border for restricted access. A person that makes a delivery into the warehouse or picks up from the warehouse can't have any access beyond the shield 290. His authorized access is only limited to the area within the accordion warehouse 100. Even access to the area within the warehouse is upon authorization by the warehouse owner.

FIG. 5 illustrates the locker mechanism for the inner door shield 290. The shield 290 is rolled onto the inner door shield reel 291. After rolling-out the shield 290, it needs to be tightened around the edges of the inner door and also locked. The mechanism for these steps works as follows: A gear handle 540 controls a multi-axis gear set 510. Through rotation of the handle 540 in one direction, the multi-axis gear set 510 controls another gear 520 on one side of the inner door's frame. Rotation of the gear 520 can slide a gear rack 530 outward or inward. When the gear rack 530 moves inward, a set of vertically placed fasteners 531 start tightening {501,502,503} into the holes on the inner door locker belt 293.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the outer door 260 along each side contains a wheel-bed 600 that hosts the wheels 251 of the warehouse sub-frames 271 when in collapsed form. While expanding, the wheels 251 are released around a rotor 600 and carried out by the sub-frames 271 along the rail track 250. The rail track hosts periodically deployed wheel guides 610.

FIG. 7 illustrates connection of the warehouse sub-frames 271 to the rail track 251. Each sub-frame 271 is carried on a wheel, which is guided by the rail track 251. In summary, when deployed at customer and/or supplier sites, an outsider will only have an access into inside the accordion warehouse after being authenticated by the system. The outsider can be person to pick up from a supplier site with the accordion warehouse or a person to deliver into a customer site with the accordion warehouse. The owner or operator of the accordion warehouse expands the warehouse prior to arrival of the expected outsider person and pulls an electromechanically controlled and secured shield at the inner door to restrict an outsider's access to only within the accordion warehouse. The outer door is deployed with secure access mechanisms for identification of the expected outsider.

Claims

1) Door-frame mounted expandable and collapsible accordion warehouse for secure and unattended delivery of assets to receiver location and unattended and secure pick up of assets from shipper location, comprising

a. An inner door providing means for separating an area that is accessible only by the carrier from other private store areas.

b. Warehouse sub-frames providing means for expanding and collapsing the accordion warehouse

c. Surface material providing means for connecting sub-frames to form a shield between the areas accessible by the carrier and areas accessible only by the shipper, when the accordion warehouse is at the shipper premise.

d. Surface material providing means for connecting sub-frames to form a shield between the areas accessible by the carrier and areas accessible only by the receiver, when the accordion warehouse is at the receiver premise.

e. Rail tracks providing means for moving the sub-frames for expanding/collapsing the accordion warehouse.

f. An access point providing means to authenticate access of the carrier into the accordion warehouse.

g. An outer door providing means for entering the warehouse area from outside.

2) The system of claim 1, wherein the said inner door comprises legs on each side providing means for keeping the inner door in upright position.

3) The system of claim 1, wherein the said inner door further comprises a security shield providing means for preventing unauthenticated access into the private store areas. The system of claim 1, wherein the said inner door further comprises a locker beam gear set, gear set control handle and a grid material reel. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the said sub-frames comprises a wheel mechanism that embraces the said rail tracks and provides means for moving the said sub-frames along the said rail tracks in claim 1.

6) The system of claim 1, wherein the said outer door comprises the said access point in claim 1 providing means for authenticated access into the warehouse area.

7) The system of claim 1, wherein the said outer door further comprises an electro-mechanic locker for providing means for locking and unlocking the said outer door and a wheel bed.

8) The said inner door of claim 2, wherein each said leg comprises a wheel providing means for easy movement of the said inner door.

9) The said inner of door of claim 4, wherein the said gear set control handle controls movement of the said locker beam gear set.

10) The outer door of claim 6, wherein the said access point controls operation of the said electro-mechanic locker in claim 6.

11) The outer door of claim 6, wherein the said wheel bed provides means for hosting the wheels of the said warehouse sub-frames when the said warehouse is in collapsed form.