The present invention relates to a parcel depository suitable for receiving and storing parcels in a secure manner and particularly, but not exclusively, to such a depository as may be used at a residential premises, for the receipt of parcel by postal or courier services.

When letters are delivered through a letterbox, the size of the letterbox opening normally restricts access to the inside of the letterbox, which may be the inside of a residential premises, where the letterbox is mounted in the front door, or in a wall of the premises. Thus, when a letter is delivered through the letterbox, it cannot subsequently be easily removed, except by the person who has access to the premises, or in the case of a standalone letterbox, by the person who has a key to unlock that letterbox. (For the purposes of the present specification, the terms “lock” and “key” includes traditional locks and keys, locks that accept a key code in the form of a combination code entered on a keypad on the lock, locks that respond to a key in the form of a magnetic swipe card or transponder, or any such equivalent devices).

When a parcel is delivered to a residential premise, there is often no secure way of depositing that parcel, unless someone is at home. In such circumstances, the parcel will typically be left with a neighbour if a neighbour is in, in a relatively insecure location, or it will be returned the post office I courier depot to await either redelivery or collection. A relatively inexpensive secure parcel depository presently on the market, which addresses the above issues, by enabling parcels to be left relatively securely even when no one is at home, is similar to that disclosed in UK patent application, publication number GB2510575B.

The known secure parcel depository comprises a housing with a drawer located in an upper part of the housing, above a parcel holding space within the lower part of the housing. The drawer is arranged to slide to an open position, where the drawer extends out through an opening in the housing and permits a courier to place a parcel in the drawer.

The drawer is then arranged to be closed, whereby access to the housing is then prevented by the closed front of the drawer. When the drawer is fully closed a flap, or flaps, in the bottom of the drawer are then able to drop down and permit the parcel to drop through the bottom of the drawer into a holding space below the drawer. The flap, or flaps, extend in a front to back direction so that, when lowered, they physically prevent the drawer from being pulled open until the flap, or flaps, have been raised back to a closed position, where the flap, or flaps, once again form the bottom of the drawer and thus prevents access to the holding space below the drawer and the parcel now in it. The drawer can then be opened to receive another parcel and the process repeated. Each parcel is thus securely held in the holding space, until retrieved at a convenient time, by the recipient.

The recipient gains access to parcels in the holding space through a door, which will usually be lockable, provided in the lower part of the housing. It has been found to be desirable to be able to provide the option of having the lockable door to the holding space located on either the front or rear of the housing, depending on where and how the depository is to be installed. For example, if the depository is set against an outside wall, then the lockable door will need to be on the front. Alternatively, where the depository is to extend through the wall of a premises, the lockable door may be on the back of the housing, so it can be accessed from within the housing, (which may avoid the need for the door to be lockable).

For the purposes of standardisation and the benefits associated with this, a single unit can be supplied in which the holding space can be accessed through either the front or rear, depending on the installation. This is made possible by the housings having both front and rear openings into the holding space. The depositories are then supplied with a lockable door and a blanking panel fitted to respective openings. These can then be swapped around, if necessary, on installation of the depository. The above-described depository has been found to function well, as it will securely accept several subsequent deliveries of smaller parcels, the type most commonly received. It may also permit a parcel to be securely received up to the size of the drawer, even if there is not enough remaining space in the holding space for the parcel. In this manner, the drawer and one or more flaps not only provide a mechanism to prevent unauthorised access to previously delivered parcels, but also additionally permit the space in the drawer itself to be used to receive and subsequently secure a parcel.

One potential problem with the above described depository may arise where the depository extends through the wall of a premises, with the lockable door positioned on the back of the housing relative to the position of the drawer. This is because the blanking panel is then on the exposed front of the housing, under the drawer, and it thus becomes a potential weak point through which a forced entry to the holding space may be made.

Additionally, the security of above-described parcel depository relies on the drawer not being able to removed completely from the housing, for once removed, together with the flap or flaps, the upper opening in the housing, previously occupied by the drawer, will provide direct access to any parcel in the holding space below. To prevent the drawer from being removed, the release mechanisms of the standard type drawer runners used are removed, preventing the drawer from being removed after being inserted in the housing for the first time. However, it may sometimes, in certain applications, be desirable to secure the housing to a wall or the like at a point behind the drawer. Although this could be achieved before the drawer is first installed in the housing, this then prevents the depository being stored and shipped with the drawer located within the housing, significantly increasing transport costs, particularly as it will only occasionally be required to secure the housing to a wall in a region behind the drawer. Furthermore, such an arrangement would prevent the installed depository from subsequently being removed or relocated. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved parcel depository.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a parcel depository comprising a housing and a drawer, wherein: the drawer is arranged to slide to an open position where it extends through an opening for the drawer in an upper portion of the housing and permits a person outside the housing to place a parcel in the drawer: the drawer is arranged to slide to a closed position, where a person outside the housing is prevented from accessing the drawer; the drawer having one or more flaps in the bottom which, when the drawer is closed, permits the parcel to drop through the bottom of the drawer into a holding space in a lower portion of the housing below the drawer; the drawer is prevented from being subsequently opened unless the one or more flaps are closed, so that the one or more flaps prevent access to the holding space when the drawer is open or partly open by a person outside the housing; the lower portion of the housing is provided with a securable opening through which a recipient may remove a parcel from the holding space; the housing has a substantially rectangular footprint; the upper portion and the lower portion of the housing are arranged to be transported separately and to subsequently be assembled, with the upper portion being arranged to be secured in one of at least two possible orientations relative to the lower portion so that, in a first orientation, the opening for the drawer is located in the same side of the housing as the securable opening and, in a second orientation the opening for the drawer is not in the same side of the housing as the securable opening.

A parcel depository in accordance with the first aspect of the invention permits the parcel depository to be supplied in a standard form, but for the position of the securable opening to be configured by the installer (which may be the purchaser) by securing the upper portion of the housing to the lower portion of the housing in a desired one of two or more potential positions. This avoids the need to use blanking panels, which may form a vulnerable point where potentially a forced access to the holding space may occur if the blanking panel is located on an freely accessible side of the depository. In addition to the above, having a depository comprising separate upper and lower portions enables those portions to be shipped separately and thus, for depositories of a certain size, may avoid the need to ship them by pallet (necessary if a parcel exceeds certain dimensions and/or weight) and instead permits the depository to be boxed and shipped as two individual packages, which is normally less expensive than shipping on a pallet.

Preferably the housing has a substantially square footprint, with the upper portion of the housing arranged to be secured in one of at least four possible orientations relative to the lower portion. This then permits the securable opening to be located on one of the four sides of the depository.

Preferably, the upper portion of the housing comprises a single panel or a number of panels held together by permanent fastening or welds and wherein the lower portion of the housing comprises a number of panels to be held together by fastenings arranged to be used by an end user to fasten said number of panels of the lower portion of the housing together, such that the depository may be shipped to an end user with the lower portion of the housing flat packed, for assembly by the end user and wherein the depository comprises a plurality of further fastenings for securing the lower portion of the housing to the upper portion of the housing, said further fastening being arranged to be used by an end user to fasten the lower portion of the housing to the upper portion of the housing.

The above arrangement permits the upper portion of the housing, including a mechanism for receiving the drawer, to be pre-assembled in a factory and the drawer to be temporarily or permanently inserted for transportation.

The upper portion of the housing and the drawer, without the lower portion of the housing, may then be of a size and weight such that it can be shipped boxed, without the need to ship it on a pallet, which significantly adds to the cost of shipment.

In addition to the above, the lower portion, being shipped flat packed, may enable the lower portion to be shipped as a very compact separate package, or to be shipped boxed together with the upper portion of the housing and the drawer, depending on the overall weight. This may permit the shipper to optimise the packaging for cost efficiency when shipping the depository to a customer.

The above arrangement may be particularly advantageous where the depository is to be sold over the internet directly to the customer, where courier charges may add significantly to the cost of the product.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a parcel depository comprising a housing and a drawer, wherein the drawer is arranged to slide to an open position where it extends through an opening for the drawer in the housing and permits a person outside the housing to place a parcel in the drawer and wherein the drawer is arranged to slide to a closed position, where a person outside the housing is prevented from accessing the drawer, the drawer having one or more flaps in the bottom which, when the drawer is closed, permits the parcel to drop through the bottom of the drawer into a holding space below the drawer, the drawer being prevented from being subsequently opened unless the one or more flaps are closed, so that the one or more flaps prevent access to the holding space when the drawer is open or partly open by a person outside the housing, the housing being provided with a securable opening through which a recipient may remove a parcel from the holding space below the drawer, the depository having a drawer retaining mechanism, or drawer retaining member, arranged on one or more of the drawer or housing to prevent removal of the drawer from the housing from outside of the housing, wherein the drawer retaining mechanism or drawer retaining member is arranged to be accessible through the securable opening to permit the drawer retaining member to be fitted, or set, from within the housing, so as to prevent removal of the drawer from the housing, and to permit the drawer retaining member to subsequently be removed, or unset, from within the housing to permit the drawer to be released from the housing.

A parcel depository, in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention, permits a drawer retaining mechanism, or drawer retaining member, to be set or fitted through the securable opening to which only an authorised person has access, avoiding the need to use an arrangement where a release mechanism on the drawer is either disabled, after the drawer has been inserted, or the drawer is fitted with a none reusable retention mechanism where, with both arrangements, the drawer cannot be removed after it’s initial insertion into the housing.

The second aspect of the present invention makes it possible for a person, having access to through the securable opening, to subsequently release the drawer, to permit it to be removed should this be necessary. In addition, the retaining mechanism, or retaining means, may be relatively robust and relatively inexpensive. For example, the retaining mechanism may comprise one or more bolts fitted to one of either the housing or the drawer and arranged to engage with the other of the drawer or the housing, to prevent the drawer being removed. Alternatively, the retaining member could simply be a steel bar attached to the drawer or the housing and arranged to engage with the other of the housing or the drawer to prevent subsequent removal of the drawer. The important point is that these are only accessible through the securable opening and not through the open drawer itself, preventing release unless this is through the securable opening.

In essence, the second aspect of the present invention permits the security means, for example a lock for securing the securable opening, to also secure the drawer in the cabinet, as the lock will first have to be released to provide access through the securable opening to enable the retaining mechanism or retaining member to be released to enable the drawer to subsequently be removed.

The retaining member may, for example, be arranged to be fitted to the rear of the drawer, with the member arranged to engage with edges of the opening for the drawer in the housing, to prevent the drawer from being removed from the housing. Alternatively, the retaining member may be arranged to be fitted to the bottom of the drawer, with the member arranged to engage with edges of the opening for the drawer in the housing, to prevent the drawer from being removed from the housing.

As a further alternative, the drawer retaining member could be arranged to be fitted to the inside of the housing, with the member then arranged to engage with the drawer to prevent the drawer from being removed from the housing.

Similarly, in the case of a drawer retaining mechanism, this may be fitted to the back of the drawer, with the mechanism arranged to be set to engage with edges of the opening for the drawer in the housing, to prevent the drawer from being removed from the housing. Alternatively, it could be fitted to the bottom of the drawer, with the mechanism arranged to be set to engage with edges of the opening for the drawer in the housing, to prevent the drawer from being removed from the housing.

As a further alternative, the drawer retaining mechanism may be fitted to the inside of the housing, which mechanism is then arranged to be set to engage with the drawer to prevent the drawer from being removed from the housing.

A depository in accordance with the first aspect of the invention may additionally incorporate the features of a depository in accordance with the second aspect of the invention. This may be particularly advantageous where access to both the upper and lower portions of the housing is required, in order to join the two together, for the drawer may then be shipped in the upper portion of the housing, before being removed while the upper and lower portions of the housing are assembled. The drawer may then be reinserted and fixed in place using the retaining mechanism or by fitting the retaining member. The depository in accordance with either aspect of the invention may comprise a lockable door to secure the securable opening. Alternatively, the securable opening may be securable by being located, or being arranged to be located, on a side of the housing different to the side in which the opening for the drawer is located, to permit the securable opening to open into a secure space, such as to the inside of a building.

Preferably, the one or more flaps, when opened, extend below the level of the opening and directly prevent the drawer from being opened by coming into contact with the housing. This provides a very simple mechanism for locking the drawer closed when the flaps are open and when the capacity of the holding space has been exceeded.

The depository may preferably comprise two flaps hinged on opposite sides of the drawer base, similar to bomb bay doors on an aircraft. The provision of two flaps limits the volume of the holding space swept by the flaps when they open. This arrangement may also permit the whole floor of the drawer to open, ensuring a parcel does not become lodged in the drawer. Also the opening in the top of the drawer may be slightly restricted, by an inwardly protruding rim or similar, to ensure parcels don’t jam in the drawer. If a parcel jams in the opening of the drawer then it will not be possible to close the drawer, which will be evident to the person delivering the parcel.

In either the first or second aspect of the invention, the upper portion of the housing may have a top covering portion arranged to be fitted to the top of the housing by an end user, wherein the top covering portion comprises one of a pitched roof like portion, a flat roof like portion or a flat receptacle with an upstanding rim suitable for planting plants in. This may permit a customer or end user to select a top covering portion to customise their depository. One embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals are used throughout to indicate like parts and of which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a parcel depository in accordance with first and second aspects of the present invention with the drawer open;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the parcel depository of Figure 1 ;

Figures 3 and 4 correspond to Figure 1 and 2 but show the drawer closed;

Figure 5 and 6 corresponds to Figures 3 and 4, again showing the drawer closed but now with the flaps partially raised;

Figure 7 is a view from the line VII-VII of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a view from line VIII-VIII of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is rear perspective view of the drawer of the depository of Figures 1 to 8, showing the retaining member fitted;

Figure 10 shows an alternative retaining means fitted to the inside of the housing of the parcel depository;

Figure 11 shows the upper portion of the parcel depository of Figures 1 to 9 separated from the lower portion;

Figure 12 shows how the parcel depository of Figures 1 to 9 and 11 may incorporate an additional housing portion in the form of a parcel pick-up unit;

Figure 13 shows an optional top for the depository, in the form of a planter; and

Figure 14 shows an optional top for the depository in the form of a pitched roof.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, a parcel depository, indicated generally as 1 , comprises a metal housing 2 having a lower portion 3 and an upper portion 4. In the rear of the lower portion 3 there is located a door 5 which may be locked in a closed position by lock 6 to define a securable opening into the lower portion 3 of the housing 2.

The front of the upper portion 4 of the housing 2 has an opening 7 for a drawer 8. The drawer 8 is mounted on runners (not shown) so that it may extend in an open position out of the housing 2, as illustrated in Figure 2. In this position, a parcel 9 to be deposited in the depository for subsequent collection is placed in the drawer 8, the parcel 9 being shown in broken line.

The bottom of the drawer 8 is formed by two flaps 10 and 11 (shown in broken line) hinged to respective sides of the drawer 8. The flaps 10 and 11 are held closed by resting on the bottom of the opening 7, which even in the fully opened position shown in Figures 1 still supports the back edge of flaps 10 and 11 . However, any number of suitable devices or mechanisms may be employed to ensure the flaps cannot open when the drawer is open.

Referring now to Figure 3 and 4, these show the drawer in a closed position, where the flaps 10 and 11 are no longer held closed by the bottom of the opening 7 in the housing 2. Here the flaps 10, 11 may swing open, either under gravity or by biasing means, to permit the parcel 9 to fall into a holding space 12 below the drawer. The flaps 10 and 11 are connected via a linkage mechanism 13a to 13d (described below with reference to Figures 7 to 8) to handle 14 on the front of the drawer 8. As will be subsequently described with reference to Figures 7 to 8, the opening of the flaps 10 and 11 causes the handle 14 to rotate in the direction of arrow 15 to adopt the vertical position shown in Figures 3 and 4.

In order to retrieve a parcel 9, a person with a key simply unlocks lock 6, opens the door 5, as shown in Figure 4 and lifts the parcel from the holding space 12. The bottom of the holding space may have a layer of soft material, a string net or the like, to cushion the parcel as it drops into the holding space 12 when the drawer 8 is closed and the flaps 10 and 11 open.

In the position shown in Figures 3 and 4, the flaps 10 and 11 prevent the drawer 8 being opened and thereby prevent access through the drawer 8 to the parcel 9. On arriving at the parcel depository 1 and finding it with the drawer 8 closed, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, either with or without a parcel 9 already present, a delivery person rotates the handle 14 in the direction of arrow 16, as shown in Figure 5. If the parcel 9, or a plurality of parcels previously delivered (not shown) are small enough to permit the flaps 10 and 11 to close on rotation of the handle 14, the flaps 10 and 11 may be raised, through the intermediate position shown in Figures 5 and 6, to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. Thus the drawer 8 may again be opened to receive another parcel, as shown in Figure 2. Here the flaps 10 and 11 will again prevent access to any parcel already in the holding space 12, as previously described.

Again with reference to Figures 5 and 6, if a number of small parcels have been received, or a large parcel has been received and they, or it, prevent the flaps 10 and 11 from closing and the handle 14 being rotated, then the parcel delivery person will be unable to gain access to the drawer and will have to take the parcel away for delivery on another day, or find some alternative means of leaving the parcel.

An important advantage of the illustrated depository is that it permits a parcel 9 to be received in the depository 1 , which parcel 9 may have maximum dimensions almost equal to the internal space of the drawer 8. Although no subsequent parcels may be delivered, this large parcel may be safely stored because, on closing of the drawer 8, it will at least partially drop through flaps 10 and 11 preventing the drawer 8 from subsequently being opened until the parcel has been removed through the door 5. This is particularly advantageous, for many households receive a number of small parcels and thus the depository 1 will enable subsequent deliveries of small parcels to be made without the parcel depository being emptied. However, in the event that a single large parcel should be delivered on any particular day, this may still be safely received, though any parcels received subsequently may have to be redelivered.

The parcel depository 1 may also additionally receive letters and may be provided with a standard letterbox opening 17. This will normally permit letters to be delivered even in the event that no further parcels may be delivered. Referring now to Figure 7, this a view along the line VII-VII of Figure 2 with the drawer 8 in an open position and the flaps 10 and 11 closed and resting on the bottom of the opening 7, not shown, in the housing 2 . Flaps 10 and 11 are connected by a linkage mechanism comprising rods 13a and 13b, pivotally attached at both ends between respective flaps 10 and 11 and a disk 13c forming part of the linkage mechanism. Disk 13c is on the inside of the front of the drawer 8 and is connected by a shaft 13d to handle 14 on the outside of the front the drawer 8. Disk 13c and handle 14 may rotate in the drawer front.

A spring 18 acts between the disk 13c and the drawer front 14 to cause the disk 13c to rotate in the direction of arrow 19, which acts to urge the flaps 10 and 11 to the open position. Thus, when the drawer 8 is closed the spring 18 ensures the flaps 10 and 11 adopt the position illustrated in Figure 8. From this position, with the drawer 8 closed, rotation of the handle 14 in the direction of arrow 20, by a person delivering a parcel, will cause the flaps 10 and 11 to close, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, thus permitting the drawer 8 to open, provided the flaps 10 and 11 are not obstructed by a parcel 9.

Referring now to Figure 9, this shows the drawer 8 with a retaining member 21 fixed to the back of the drawer 8 by fastenings 22. The fastenings 22 are not accessible through the opening 7 in the upper portion 4 of the housing 2 when the drawer 8 is mounted in the housing 2, regardless of whether the drawer 8 is in an open or closed position. Therefore, to instal the drawer 8 in the housing 2, the drawer (without the retaining member 21 ) is first inserted into the opening 7 in the housing 2 and mounted on the runners 23. Once the drawer is mounted on its runners 23 it is moved to an open position and the retaining member 21 is then mounted to the rear of the drawer 8, as shown, by fastenings 22. When the drawer is subsequently fully opened, respective ends 24 of the retaining member 21 (only one of which can be seen in Figure 9) engage with the inside face of the housing 2 about the opening 7, preventing the drawer 8 from being removed. The retaining member 21 may be fastened in place through the door 5, after the drawer 8 has been inserted into the housing 2. Similarly, a person with access through the door 5 may subsequently remove the fastenings 22 and remove the retaining member 21 , to permit the drawer 8 to subsequently be removed. The retaining member 21 may take many forms and it will be appreciated that a retaining member may be mounted to the drawer 8 at positions different to the one shown, or multiple retaining members, normally one associated with each side, may be mounted at appropriate locations on the drawer 8. Alternatively, a similar retaining member or retaining members may be mounted on the housing in a manner to engage with a feature on the drawer, to prevent the drawer being removed. Numerous ways in which this may be implemented will be apparent to the skilled person.

As an alternative to the retaining member 21 (or retaining members) mentioned above, a retaining mechanism may instead be employed and an example of one such retaining mechanism is shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10 is a view from within the housing 2, looking towards the opening 7 in the front face of the upper portion 4. A panel 25 mounted to the inside of the upper portion 4 extends down into the lower portion 3 and on this panel 25 are located two bolts 26 and 27. With the drawer 8 inserted through the opening 7 the bolts 26 and 27 are again only accessible through the door 5. The bolts 26 and 27 form a retaining mechanism, whereby once the drawer has been inserted they may be raised to the position of bolt 27, where they will engage with a stop on the end of the drawer 8, preventing the drawer from being removed. However, many equivalent retaining mechanisms will be apparent to the skilled person, which again may be mounted to either the upper portion 4 of the housing 2 or to the drawer 8.

Referring now to Figure 11 , the lower portion 3 and upper portion 4 of the housing 2 of the parcel depository 1 are shown separated and they may be transported separated, as shown, for subsequent assembly at the location of intended use. In this embodiment, the two portions 3 and 4 of the housing 2 are square in footprint and have the same size footprint. The lower portion 3 has a flange 28 extending inwardly from the upper edge of each side, with holes 29 through it, as indicated. A corresponding flange (not shown) extends inwardly from a bottom edge of each side of the upper portion 4 of the housing 2, with the flange having a set of holes through it, which align with the holes 29 of the flange 28 of the lower portion 3. The two sets of holes are arranged to receive fastenings (not shown) to enable the upper portion 4 to be fixed to the lower portion 3 in any one of four possible orientations, so that the door 5 may be positioned in the housing 2: below the front of the drawer 8; in a face of the housing 2 opposite to the front of the drawer 8; or in either side of the housing 2 relative to the drawer 8 in the front of the housing 2. In this way, the lower portion 3 and upper portion 4 of the housing 2 may be packed and transported separately and assembled on site by the end user using appropriate fastenings to assemble the upper and lower portion of the housing together, and with the door 5 positioned in any desired one of the four possible positions relative to the position of the drawer 8 in the upper portion 4. Alternatively, the depository 1 may be transported fully assembled with the option of the upper portion 4 being separated from the lower portion 3 of the housing 2, if it is desired to reposition the position of the door 5 relatively to the drawer 8.

As a further alternative, the upper and lower portions 4,3 may be joined together (possibly permanently) in the factory, with the housing 2 being formed from two portions 4, 3 permitting standard upper and lower portions 4, 3 to be produced, with these standard portions 4, 3 then being joined together in one of four possible configurations. This may then provide four alternative configurations of housing 2 of the parcel depository 1 , produced from only two standard components. This greatly reduces tooling costs and permits upper and lower portions 4, 3 to be joined together in different configurations, depending on demand for those configurations. Whether the upper and lower portions 4, 3 of the housing 2 are transported separately, or as a single unit to be taken apart and reassembled, the drawer 8 will normally be transported in the upper portion for economy of both transport and packaging. Here, a retaining member 21 , or similar, need not be initially fitted to the drawer 8, or engage with the drawer 8, permitting the drawer to be removed to assist with the fixing of the upper portion 4 to the lower portion 3. The drawer 8 may then be inserted partway into the upper portion 4 of the housing 2, on its runners 23, with the retaining member 21 (or equivalent) being fitted to retain the drawer 8 within the housing 2, it being possible to fit the retaining member 21 via the door 5. Where the parcel depository is sold as a fully assembled unit, or where it is desired to subsequently reconfigure a previously assembled parcel depository, access through the door 5 may be used to release the retaining member 21 , or similar, permitting the drawer 8 to be removed and the fastenings released, retaining the upper portion 4 to the lower portion 3 of the housing 2.

Referring again to Figure 11 , a lower edge of the lower portion 3 of the housing 2 may also be provided with a flange with holes through it corresponding to the flange 28 and holes 29. This lower flange may then be used to mount the lower portion of the housing 3 to an additional unit 31 , as shown in Figure 12.

The additional unit 31 of Figure 12 has a similar flange with holes in it extending inwardly from an upper edge of each side, corresponding to the flange 28 and holes 29 of the lower unit 3 seen in Figure 11 . Thus, fastenings may again extend through the holes to fasten the unit 31 to the bottom of the lower portion 3 of the housing 2, as shown in Figure 12, where the previously described parcel depository 1 is shown located above the unit 31 .

The unit 31 defines a second secure space accessible through door 32 which is locked by a lock 33. In this embodiment the lock 33 is a combination lock, but it could alternatively be a lock operated by a magnetic card or similar. The unit 31 is intended to be used as a parcel pick-up unit, with a user placing a parcel in the pick-up unit 31 , setting the combination lock with a once only code and advising that code to a courier, so only that courier, or other person intended to retrieve the parcel, may gain access to the unit 31 and collect that specific parcel therefrom.

Where the lock 33 is a key operated lock (which key may be in the form of a magnetic card, tag or similar, a regular courier, or other intended recipient, may then be provided with an appropriate key.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 12, the drawer 8 and door 32 are accessible from the front of the housing 2, which will normally face onto a publicly accessible space to which a courier may gain access. In the arrangement shown in Figure 12, the door 5, to the holding space 12, is located on the back, as seen in Figure 12. Where the parcel depository 1 and unit 31 are located in a wall of a building, or a perimeter wall of any restricted space, access to the holding space 12 can then only be obtained from inside the building or within the restricted space. In such an environment, the lock 6 may be redundant and may be replaced with any device suitable for keeping the door 5 closed, or indeed the door 5 may be removed with any parcel 9 within the holding space 12 being freely accessible to people within the building or within the restricted space. This similarly applies to all the previously described embodiments of a parcel depository.

With any of the embodiments described above, the top portion of the cabinet can be arranged to receive an optional top covering of portion, which may be in the form of a tray 30, shown in Figure 13, which may be used as a planter and secured to the top portion of the housing by fastenings extending through holes 31 in the fastener and corresponding holes (not shown) in the top portion of the housing. Alternatively, a pitched roof 32, as shown in Figure 14, may be purchased and secured to the top portion of the housing of the depository.

In any of the previously described embodiments, both the top portion and the bottom portion of the housing may be formed from a number of separate panels. In the case of the top portion, these are preferably assembled or joined together by permanent fastenings, such as riveting or welding, which provide a cost effective form of assembly in the factory and may then enable the upper housing, fully assembled, to receive the drawer ready for shipment separate to the lower portion of the housing. Alternatively, the top portion may be formed from a single panel.

The lower portion of the housing may comprise a number of separate panels arranged to be joined together by an end user or customer, using fastenings in the form of screws or bolt 33, seen in Figure 11 , which are preferably accessible only from within the lower portion of the housing. This may enable the lower portion of the housing to be shipped flat packed either together with or separately from the top portion of the housing and drawer, which may considerably reduce shipping costs. The invention has been described above, by way of example only, with reference to specific embodiments. It will however be appreciated that many different arrangements of parcel depository are possible, which fall within the scope of the appended claims.