AMENDED CLAIMS

received by the International Bureau on 01 June 2020 (01.06.2020)

What is claimed is:

1. A containment unit for facilitating parcel delivery, the containment unit comprising: a housing having a housing floor, the housing comprising: a stationary outer housing unit; and a movable inner housing unit, the inner housing unit having a first inner sidewall and a second inner sidewall, the first inner sidewall and the second inner sidewall connected by an end piece, the inner housing unit comprising a bottom opening between the first inner sidewall and the second inner sidewall, wherein the housing floor is movable using a lift to increase or decrease a volume of a chamber area within the containment unit.

2. The containment unit of claim 1, wherein the first inner sidewall and the second inner sidewall are parallel and separated by a distance.

3. The containment unit of claim 1, wherein the first inner sidewall and the second inner sidewall each have a first end and a second end, the end piece connecting the first end of the first inner sidewall and the first end of the second inner sidewall.

4. The containment unit of claim 1 , wherein the outer housing unit further comprises a first outer sidewall and a second outer sidewall, each of the first outer sidewall and the second outer sidewall having a first end and a second end, wherein the outer housing unit is open between the first end of the first outer sidewall and the first end of the second outer sidewall.

5. The containment unit of claim 1 , wherein the inner housing unit further comprises a gear track, the gear track being in communication with a gear that is secured to a stationary area of the containment unit. 6. A containment unit for facilitating parcel delivery, the containment unit comprising: a housing floor having an edge; and a movable housing unit, the housing unit movable from a retracted position to an extended position, the housing unit comprising: a first sidewall and a second sidewall, each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall having a first end and a second end; a first end piece connecting the first end of the first sidewall and the first end of the second sidewall; and a bottom opening between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein when the housing unit is in the retracted position, the first sidewall and the second sidewall are above the housing floor, and wherein when the housing unit is in the extended position, at least a portion of both the first sidewall and the second sidewall extends beyond the edge of the housing floor to a position covering a portion of an elevating surface that is in a lowered position.

7. The containment unit of claim 6, wherein the housing unit is an inner housing unit, the first sidewall is a first inner sidewall, and the second sidewall is a second inner sidewall, the containment unit further comprising an outer housing unit around the inner housing unit.

8. The containment unit of claim 7, wherein the outer housing unit comprises a first outer sidewall and a second outer sidewall, each of the first outer sidewall and the second outer sidewall having a first end and a second end, and wherein the outer housing unit is open between the first end of the first outer sidewall and the first end of the second outer sidewall.

9. The containment unit of claim 7, wherein when in the retracted position, the outer housing unit covers the inner housing unit, and wherein when in the extended position, at least a portion of the inner housing unit is not covered by the outer housing unit.

10. The containment unit of claim 7, wherein the outer housing unit is stationary.

11. The containment unit of claim 6, wherein the second end of the first sidewall and the second end of the second sidewall are connected by a second end piece. 12. The containment unit of claim 11, wherein the second end piece provides access to a volume of space within the housing unit.

13. The containment unit of claim 6, further comprising a movement mechanism, the housing unit movable from the retracted position to the extended position using the movement mechanism.

14. A method of receiving a parcel at a containment unit to facilitate delivery of the parcel, the method comprising: extending a housing unit of the containment unit from a retracted position to an extended position, the housing unit comprising a first sidewall and a second sidewall, each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall having a first end and a second end, the housing unit further comprising a first end piece connecting the first end of the first sidewall and the first end of the second sidewall, wherein the parcel is placed in a volume of space of the housing unit through a bottom opening between the first sidewall and the second sidewall when the housing unit is in the extended position; and subsequent to the parcel being placed in the volume of space of the housing unit, retracting the housing unit to the retracted position such that the first end piece applies a force to the parcel that slides the parcel onto a housing floor of the containment unit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the housing unit is an inner housing unit, the first sidewall is a first inner sidewall, and the second sidewall is a second inner sidewall, the housing unit further comprising an outer housing unit around the inner housing unit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the outer housing unit is stationary.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the outer housing unit comprises a first outer sidewall and a second outer sidewall, each of the first outer sidewall and the second outer sidewall having a first end and a second end, and wherein the outer housing unit is open between the first end of the first outer sidewall and the first end of the second outer sidewall. 44

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the second end of the first sidewall and the second end of the second sidewall are connected by a second end piece, wherein the method further includes providing access to the parcel using the second end piece.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the housing unit further comprises a gear track, the gear track being in communication with a gear that is secured to a stationary area of the containment unit, wherein the containment unit extends the housing unit from the retracted position to the extended position by rotating the gear.