| Automatic P.O. Box System
CLAIMS
The claims of this patent application "The AT P.O. Box System" is a comprehensive automatic mail processing storage and delivery or retrieval system designed to replace the conventional P.O. Box systems. The system consists in a semi-automatic mail Processing Machine, an automatic mechanized array of redundant or temporary P.O. Boxes grouped in Automatic Units, an automatic "Storage carriage", an automatic "Retrieval carriage", Delivery Ducts, an Automatic P.O. Box machine or ATM mail machine, a Central PC and a Redundant or back-up PC. The main function of the "AT P.O. Box System" is to process incoming mail semi-automatically, to store it automatically in temporary P.O. Boxes and to deliver it automatically to the subscriber, upon request, through the AT P.O. Box machine. The different components of the system and additional services the system will provide are the object of individual patent applications where relevant. |
Automatic P.O. Box System
DESCRIPTION
Currently in postal systems worldwide P.O. Boxes are not always in use. That is, P.O. Box users do not all get mail every day. Therefore actual storage space assigned to P.O. Boxes is always consigned but much less often actually used.
So, in current P.O. Box systems, a large number of actual P.O. Box Spaces are required to respond to the large number of users. However, on a daily basis only a lesser number of P.O. Boxes are actually solicited.
The present patent application brings the following solutions:
• Effective postal mail Processing Storage and Distribution.
• Decrease P.O. Box space requirements while increases the number of possible users.
• Comprise processing and storage space in one.
• Multiply the number of user per available P.O. Box without any conflict.
• Absence of human intervention between processing and distribution operations.
• Eliminate human error often causing the loss of important mail by erroneous distribution to the wrong P.O. Box.
• Eliminate loss of the key of the P.O. Box which penalizes the user and increases the possibility of mail theft.
Eliminate the necessity of presence of the user at the Post Office for the operation of renting a P.O. Box.
So the object of this patent application is to use temporary P.O. boxes and make the mail retrieval operation by the user automatic via an ATM Machine.
As it is illustrated in drawings 1, 2, and 3, the solution relies on the use of arrays of temporary or redundant P.O. Boxes and an ATM Mail distribution machine under the name of "Automatic P.O. Box System" or "AT P.O. Box". The whole system is controlled monitored and operated by a central PC via specifically designed software.
Upon processing and storage of incoming mail in the redundant P.O. Boxes, a temporary number is assigned to a given Redundant P.O. Box corresponding to the
P.O. Box number of that mail that is temporarily stored in it.
ATPOBOX 1 2
This number and the location of the Redundant P.O. Box in the Array are stored in the memory of the PC. Once that mail is requested and retrieved by the user that P.O. Box is declared empty and its temporary number erased from the memory of the PC. However the location of this newly empty redundant P.O. Box will be memorized by the PC for subsequent use.
Only the number of P.O. Boxes required for the daily inflow of mail to the Post office is used. Previously stored and not yet retrieved mail in the redundant P.O. Boxes occupies another number of these boxes.
So at any given moment, only a limited number of redundant P.O. Boxes is required corresponding to the number of boxes required by the mail currently transiting the post office.
An additional number of redundant P.O. Boxes is always available to respond to the need during periods of high inflow rates of mail to the post office.
Description of the system: (Drawings 1,2 and 3)
The system consists of:
• Mail Processing Machine
• Redundant P.O. Boxes
• Automatic Units
• Array
• "Storage carriage"
• "Retrieval carriage"
• Delivery Ducts
• ATM mail machines
• Central PC
• Redundant PC
Description of the "Mail Processing machine":
This machine can be similar to any mail processing machine currently in use provided that it is allowed to input to the Central PC the P.O. Box number of the mail being processed and deliver the mail to the storage carriage. The preferential features of this machine include the scanning of the incoming mail, the detection of the P.O. Box number a keyboard for correction or confirmation of the P.O. Box number it displays and ease of use by any post office operator.
ATPOBOX 1
Description of the "Redundant P.O. Box":
This is a polypropylene box with a bottom that swings down to open when requested to allow mail to fall into a redundant P.O. Box. The box is provided with two pins at the upper end of each of its narrow sides. It is suspended via rollers mounted on the pins to the rail on which it is pulled to roll by a roller chain. The box is sized to accept all possible sizes of mail in accordance with postal standards.
Description of a "Unit":
A unit consists of number of polypropylene boxes suspended in line. Each box is allowed to roll along a pair of rails. A roller chain drives the boxes and is itself driven by step motors for accurate positioning. The boxes in a unit are disposed along the rails in two consecutive areas. One is the instant access area immediately accessible the retrieval and storage carriages for quick retrieval of the mail by the user and quick storage during the processing of the mail. The other, adjacent to the first and called "the stand-by area", is where another number of boxes stand ready to respond to an increase in the demand for extra storage spaces.
Description of an "Array":
An array consists of a number of units placed in parallel to one another in such a way that the storage and retrieval carriages are allowed to have access to all boxes in the system. Sufficient space is provided between units to allow for human intervention and access to all boxes as well as maintenance of the system.
Description of the "Storage carriage":
The "Storage Carriage" is a box provided with a translation system similar to that of a carriage of a plotter. The "Storage Carriage" slides along a set of rails and is allowed to travel across all the space above the "Instant Access Area" of the "Array". The "Storage Carriage" is used to transfer mail from the "mail processing Machine" to a "Redundant P.O. Box" in the instant access area of the "Array".
Description of the "Retrieval carriage":
The retrieval carriage is a box that runs along a set of rails in a similar manner, to the Storage carriage. However, it travels under the instant access area. The retrieval carriage is used to transfer mail from the relevant "Redundant P.O. Box" in the array to the requesting "ATM mail machine".
AϊTOBOX 1 4
Description of the "ATM mail machine":
The ATM mail machine is similar to the
ATM banking machines. It is equipped with a keyboard a monitor and a drawer where the requested mail is served. The user will use the keyboard to enter his user name, P.O. Box number and password to query the system for available mail. If available, mail is served by the "Retrieval Carriage" to the requesting "ATM mail machine" via "The duct" communicating between openings bellow the instant access area and the drawer of the "ATM mail machine". Upon reception of the requested mail the drawer opens automatically and the user is allowed to retrieve his mail. Operation:
Upon its reception at the post office, mail is stacked and installed in the mail processing machine. The machine scans the mail to detect the P.O. Box numbers. The operator will confirm or correct the displayed P.O. Box Number. Upon the acceptance by the operator mail is delivered to the storage carriage. The PC will direct the storage carriage to the most accessible empty redundant mail box to which it also affects the P.O. Box number of that specific mail. The storage carriage delivers the mail to that indicated redundant P.O. Box. The Box is now in use and any subsequent mail corresponding to its temporary P.O. Box number will be delivered to it.
Mail addressed to other locations than the current post office will be directed correspondingly for further processing.
If all boxes available at the instant access area are in use the roller chains are rolled to make an additional number of empty mailboxes accessible at the instant access area. The operation is carried on until all incoming mail is processed and stored. At the ATM mail machine: Upon request by the user having entered his username P.O. Box number and password, the PC is queried for availability of mail. If there is mail for that particular user, the PC commands the delivery carriage to access the relevant redundant mail box indicating its location. If the redundant mail box is not at the instant access area the chains are rolled upon command from the PC to be positioned in the instant access area. The delivery carriage is positioned under the relevant mailbox. The bottom door of the mailbox is opened and the mail drops in the box of the delivery carriage. The door then closes and the mailbox is declared empty by the PC and its temporary number erased. The mailbox is then ready to accept mail of a different user. The delivery carriage then travels to position itself above the opening of the requesting ATM mail machine. The bottom door of the delivery carriage opens and mail drops through the opening and slides along the delivery duct to end up in the drawer of the requesting ATM mail machine. The drawer opens automatically and the user is allowed to retrieve his mail. The drawer then closes.
Next Patent: SPACE MANAGEMENT OF THE "AUTOMATIC PO BOX" SYSTEM