FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a delivery box to be left safely attached on the outside of the receiver's house/apartment door in order to avoid the theft of the parcel. Specifically, the invention relates to a delivery box safe securing device and method. BACKGROUN ART

There is a number of delivery boxes designated for safe delivery of a parcel to a receiver, to be left outside the receiver's house or apartment door in cases where the receiver is not home or does not wish to be disturbed. The United Kingdom patent No. GB2424919 describes a delivery container comprising a flexible cable blocking the drawers of the box with one end attached to an anchor lock secured to the container via a cut-out in the said container thus blocking its opening, whereas the other end is attached to the receiver's door by inserting the end of the cable with the same anchor lock under the receiver's door or into a door mail slot. The container may only be opened after the door has been opened and the end of the cable attached to the receiver's door is released.

It is also known a German patent No. DE102013104755 designated for a parcel delivery and comprising a delivery box, a connection device attached to the receiver's door, and a cable to attach the delivery box to the connection device. The cable is inserted through the connection device thus forming a closed loop, and a loop on the other side of the cable is inserted through the latch of the delivery box and permanently locked to be only accessed by the receiver of the parcel.

Both patents above are designated for a secure delivery of parcels to be left at the receiver's door when the receiver either cannot pick up the delivery box or does not wish to be disturbed. The delivery box can only be opened by the receiver or the delivery person. SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to present a delivery box with an alternative safe securing device. In accordance with the invention, the securing device for the delivery box consists of a delivery box, three separate steel cables, two of which are designated for locking the delivery box and the third one - to secure the box to the receiver's door, two locks, one of which is attached to the delivery box, and the other one to the receiver's door, and a metal ring. The first and second cables are attached with their first ends to the opposite side walls of the delivery box. The cables can be attached with their first ends to either the box walls, or can be attached in a way when one of cables encircles the whole box, including the bottom. The other ends of both cables are inserted through the holes, made in the lid of the box. Thereafter one of these second ends is attached to the lock of the delivery box and another one is attached to the metal ring. The first end of the third cable is also attached to said metal ring.

The lock of the delivery box is made of metal and consists of two separate parts - the top part and the bottom part, that can be closed together and re-opened, interconnected pivotally by an axis arranged at one end of the lock. In a closed position both parts of the lock are pressed together overlapping in their side surfaces. When unlocked, the top part of the lock turns up to 180° in relation to the bottom part of the lock. The lock comprises cut-outs made in a top part and bottom part thereof to receive the metal ring. Both parts of the lock have slots in their side surfaces coinciding with each other when the lock is closed. These slots are designated to receive the free end of the third cable unattached to the metal ring that will later be affixed to a second lock arranged in the door of the receiver.

The second lock of the delivery box securing device is an arched steel rod or a cable a middle part of which is covered in plastic and both ends left uncovered. The cable is fixed by its uncovered ends in between the door and the doorsill by pressing it with the door to the doorsill. On the outside of the door the plastic- covered loop is left, and the uncovered ends inside the door are being covered by tube shaped fasteners which are then pressed to form seals. When the door is closed, the cable is impossible to pull out because the ends of the cable are firmly pressed between the door and the doorsill and the seals at the ends of the cable prevent any possibility to pull out the pressed parts of the cable.

In the case when the receiver cannot personally pick-up the delivered box, it will be safely secured to the receiver's door. This is performed as follows: the metal ring with second and third cables attached thereto is put on the top part of the lock, turned by 90° with respect to the bottom part, and fitted into the designated cut-outs. The top part of the delivery box lock is then pressed down towards the bottom part of the lock by rotating it about the common axis of both parts, thus folding both parts together. The free end of the third cable is inserted through the matching side slots of the delivery box lock, then is rove through the loop of the second lock at the bottom of the door and folded, thus forming a second loop of the third cable. This loop is then sealed so that the delivery box becomes affixed to the second lock. Now the only person able to open the delivery box is the receiver, who can do that by opening the door, releasing the end of the third cable, affixed to the loop of the second lock, and by pulling it out through the slots in the lock of the delivery box. Only then can the lock of the delivery box be opened, the metal ring taken out together with the second and third cables and the lid of the delivery box may be opened.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will further be described in detail with references to the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows the delivery box with all of the components of the delivery box securing device;

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the first lock of the delivery box;

Fig. 3-6 show successive stages of the use of the present securing system; Fig. 7-8 show views of the second lock. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in the fig. 1, the securing device of the delivery box consists of: a) a delivery box 1,

b) three separate flexible steel cables 2, 3 and 4,

c) a metal ring 5,

d) two locks 6 and 7, the lock 6 is affixed to the lid of the delivery box 1, and the lock 7 is affixed to the delivery box receiver's door 8. As shown in fig. 1, the first ends of flexible steel cables 2 and 3 are attached to the opposite side walls of the delivery box 1. The cable 3 can be attached with the first end to either the side wall of the box 1 or it can be attached in a way to encircle the whole box, including the bottom. The other ends of cables 2 and 3 are inserted through the holes 9 and 10 in the lid of the delivery box 1. The second end of the cable 2 is attached to the lock 6 of the delivery box 1. The second end of the cable 3 is attached to the metal ring 5. The first end of the third flexible steel cable 4 is also attached to the metal ring 5.

The lock 6, which is affixed to the lid of the delivery box 1, as shown in detail in fig. 2, is made of metal and consists of two separate parts 11 and 12 which can be closed together and re-opened, interconnected pivotally by an axis 13 arranged at one end of the lock 6. In closed position, shown in fig. 5, both parts 11 and 12 of the lock 6 are pressed together overlapping with their side surfaces. In the unlocked position the top part 12 of the lock 6 can be turned up to 180° in respect of the bottom part 11; however, it is preferably to turn the part 12 by 90°. The lock 6 at its rotation axis 13 has cut-outs 14 and 15 designed to receive a metal ring 5, made symmetrically on inner sides of both parts 11 and 12 of the lock 6 near the rotating axis 13 of the lock 6. Both parts 11 and 12 of the lock 6 have slots 16 in their side surfaces coinciding with each other when the lock 6 is in a closed position. The slots 16 are designated to receive the free end of the third cable 4 unattached to the metal ring 5. The second lock 7 of the delivery box 1 is an arched steel rod or a cable the middle part of which is covered in plastic and both ends left uncovered. The lock 7 is affixed by its uncovered ends to the bottom of the receiver's door in between the door 8 and the doorsill 17 by pressing it with the door 8 to the doorsill 17. On the outside of the door 8 the plastic covered loop of the lock 7 is left, and the uncovered ends of the lock 7, left inside the door, are being covered by tube-shaped fasteners 18 which then are pressed to form seals. Upon closing the door 8, the lock 7 cannot be pulled out due to the reason that the uncovered parts of the lock 7 are pressed firmly in between the door 8 and the doorsill 17, and secondly, due to seals 18 fastened to the ends of the lock 7, thus preventing the lock 7 to be pulled out.

The purpose of the delivery box with the safe securing device is to leave the delivery box safely secured to the receiver's door in cases where the receiver is unable to pick up the delivery box 1 by himself or herself. This is performed as follows: the metal ring 5 with first ends of the cables 3 and 4 attached thereto is mounted over the opened part 12 of the lock 6, as shown in fig. 3, and inserted into the cut-outs 14 of the bottom part 11 of the lock 6, as shown in fig. 4. The top part 12 of the lock 6 of the delivery box 1 is then rotated down about its axis 13, as shown in fig. 4, by pressing both parts 11 and 12 of the lock 6, thus achieving the position shown in fig. 5 where the ring 5 appears firmly closed in cut-outs 14 and 15. Then the free end of the third cable 4 of the delivery box 1 is inserted through the matching side slots 16 of both parts 11 and 12 of the lock 6, then the cable 4 is rove through the loop of the second lock 7 located at the bottom of the door 8 and bent, thus forming a second loop of the third cable 4, as shown in fig. 5 and 6. The free end of the third cable 4 is then sealed to the cable 4 to form a close loop surrounding the second lock 7, and the delivery box 1 becomes affixed to the second lock 7 with a cable 4. Now the delivery box 1 may only be opened by the receiver of the delivery box by firstly opening the door 8, releasing the end of cable 4 affixed to the loop of the second lock 7 and pulling it out through the slots 16 of the lock 6 of the delivery box 1. Only then it becomes possible to unlock the lock 6 of the delivery box 1 by lifting its top part 12 up, then removing the metal ring 5 from cut-outs 14 with both cables 3 and 4 attached thereto and finally opening the lid of the delivery box 1.

The securing device of the present invention has been described with clarification that its components - cables, locks and the ring - are made of metal. For those skilled in the art it is clear that these parts may be made of other materials such as plastic or textile provided that the materials shall have characteristics suitable for such components and will possess proper resistance to cutting, tearing, breaking and so on.

The delivery box with the safe securing device may be used for the delivery of various goods, including foodstuff, to their receivers.