JP7787803B2 - Locker device - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. 1. Exhibited and publicly displayed at the Food Store Solutions Fair 2022 from September 7th to 8th, 2022. 2. Delivered to Coop Izumi Chuo store and Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. Izumiotsu Station on October 24th, 2022.

The present invention relates to a locker device in which the door to the storage room is locked with an electric lock.

This type of locker device is known, for example, from Patent Document 1 (Title of Invention: Luggage Management Locker). The locker device in Patent Document 1 comprises a casing that separates three upper and lower storage compartments; doors that are rotatably supported on the casing around a vertical axis to open and close each storage compartment; and an electric lock that is attached to the casing and holds the doors closed. The electric lock is stored inside the casing and is attached so that only the latch that holds the door closed can protrude outside the casing. A signal is output from the control unit to switch the electric lock between a locked state in which the latch protrudes from the casing and an unlocked state in which the latch retracts into the casing. The latch in the locked state captures the swinging tip of the door, holding it closed; and the door can be opened by switching the latch capturing the door to the unlocked state.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-265507

In locker devices used to store items, malfunctions in the electric lock that keeps the door closed can affect the depositing or retrieval of items. Therefore, it is preferable to perform regular maintenance on the electric lock, and in the event of a malfunction, prompt repairs such as replacement are required. However, in the locker device of Patent Document 1, the electric lock is located inside the casing, and its structure makes it difficult to access, making maintenance and repairs time-consuming and labor-intensive. On the other hand, if the electric lock is fixed to the exterior of the casing, it becomes easier to access and maintenance and repairs become easier, but there is a risk that the electric lock may be forcibly unlocked by tampering or other unauthorized manipulation, reducing the reliability of the locker device.

The present invention was developed to solve the above problems, and aims to make it possible to reliably prevent unauthorized unlocking by making unauthorized access to the electric lock of a locker device difficult under normal conditions, while also allowing easy access to the electric lock during maintenance and repairs.

The present invention relates to a locker device including a main case 1 with a storage chamber 5, a door 2 that opens and closes the front opening of the storage chamber 5, and an electric lock 8 that holds the door 2 in a closed position. A lock unit 21 is disposed on each of the left and right sides of the main case 1, which receive the swinging tip of the door 2. The lock unit 21 includes a vertically long, box-shaped unit box 22 and an electric lock 8 fixed inside the unit box 22. The unit box 22 has a maintenance window 23 formed therein for accessing the electric lock 8 during maintenance work. The lock unit 21 is configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction relative to the main case 1 between a storage position on the rear side and a maintenance position closer to the front of the storage position. In a normal state, the lock unit 21 is fixed in the storage position by a locking device 53. When the lock unit 21 is in the storage position, the maintenance window 23 is blocked by the left and right side walls 9 of the main case 1. When the lock unit 21 is displaced to the maintenance position, the side walls 9 unblock the maintenance window 23, allowing access to the electric lock 8 through the maintenance window 23.

The support structure 50 that supports the lock unit 21 so that it can slide is composed of an upper guide 51 located between the main case 1 and the upper end of the unit box 22, and a lower guide 52 located between the main case 1 and the lower end of the unit box 22. The upper guide 51 is composed of an upper guide piece 56 that protrudes downward from the unit box 22, and an upper guide slit 57 formed above the main case 1 to guide the upper guide piece 56 in the front-to-rear direction. The lower guide 52 is composed of a lower guide piece 63 that protrudes downward from the unit box 22, a lower guide slit 64 formed below the main case 1 to guide the lower guide piece 63 in the front-to-rear direction, and a lower support body 65 that supports and receives the unit box 22 from below.

The lower guide piece 63 protrudes downward from the lower box wall 22d of the unit box 22, and a lower guide slit 64 is opened in the lower support body 65. Forward sliding displacement of the lock unit 21 is restricted by the lower guide piece 63 abutting against the front edge of the lower guide slit 64.

The upper guide 51 includes an upper support 58 that is fixed to the side wall 9 and receives and supports the upper box wall 22c of the unit box 22 from below. The upper support 58 is fixed so as to be spaced apart from the left and right side surfaces 10 of the side wall 9 in the left-right direction. An upper guide slit 57 is formed between the left and right side surfaces 10 of the side wall 9 and the edge 58a of the upper support 58 that faces the side surfaces 10.

The side surfaces 10 of the left and right side walls 9 of the main case 1 are composed of a flat main surface 10a, a receiving surface 10b formed inward from the main surface 10a, and a rear surface 10c connecting the two surfaces 10a and 10b. A unit recess 24 is formed in the front corner of the side wall 9, defined by the receiving surface 10b and the rear surface 10c, and is used to position the lock unit 21. When the lock unit 21 is in the storage position, the main surface 10a of the side surface 10 of the main case 1 and the side surface 22g of the unit box 22 of the lock unit 21 are configured to be flush with each other.

A striker 7 that is captured by an electric lock 8 protrudes rearward from the door 2. The electric lock 8 has a latch 27 that can be changed between a locked position in which it captures the striker 7 to lock the door 2, and an unlocked position in which it does not capture the striker 7. The latch 27 is located at the rear end of a capture recess 28 that is cut out rearward from the front of the electric lock 8. A catch window 69 is formed in the unit box 22 to allow the striker 7 to enter the interior of the unit box 22. The electric lock 8 is fixed inside the unit box 22 so that the capture recess 28 faces the catch window 69.

The main body case 1 is provided with multiple storage compartments 5 arranged in multiple vertical stages, with a single lock unit 21 located on each of the left and right sides. Multiple electric locks 8 are fixed inside the unit box 22, corresponding to each storage compartment 5. Each electric lock 8 has a latch 27 that can be moved between a locked position, in which the striker 7 is engaged to lock the door 2, and an unlocked position, in which the striker 7 is not engaged. Each electric lock 8 is provided with an unlocking lever 29 that forcibly shifts the latch 27 from the locked position to the unlocked position. The lock unit 21 is provided with an operating piece 39 that operates the unlocking lever 29 of each electric lock 8, and an operating tool 42 that simultaneously operates all operating pieces 39.

In the locker device of the present invention, the lock units 21, located on the left and right sides of the main case 1 that receive the swinging tip of the door 2, are configured to slide forward and backward relative to the main case 1 between a rear storage position and a maintenance position that is closer to the front of the rear position. When the lock unit 21 is in the storage position, the maintenance window 23 is blocked by the left and right side walls 9 of the main case 1. When the lock unit 21 is displaced to the maintenance position, the maintenance window 23 is unblocked by the side walls 9, allowing access to the electric lock 8 through the maintenance window 23. With this locker device, displacing the lock unit 21 to the maintenance position allows maintenance and repair of the electric lock 8. After maintenance and repair are complete, the lock unit 21 can be displaced to the storage position and secured to the main case 1 with the locking device 53 to block the maintenance window 23, making access to the electric lock 8 difficult and preventing unauthorized unlocking. As described above, according to the present invention, by normally positioning the lock unit 21 in the storage position, it is possible to make access to the electric lock 8 difficult and prevent unauthorized unlocking, resulting in a highly reliable locker device. Furthermore, by positioning the lock unit 21 in the maintenance position during maintenance or repair, it is possible to easily access the electric lock 8, resulting in a locker device with excellent workability.

The support structure 50 that supports the lock unit 21 so that it can slide is composed of an upper guide 51 provided between the main case 1 and the upper end of the unit box 22, and a lower guide 52 provided between the main case 1 and the lower end of the unit box 22. The upper guide 51 is composed of an upper guide piece 56 that protrudes downward from the unit box 22, and an upper guide slit 57 that is formed above the main case 1 and guides the upper guide piece 56 in the front-to-rear direction. The lower guide 52 is composed of a lower guide piece 63 that protrudes downward from the unit box 22, and By configuring the lock unit 21 to slide forward and backward relative to the main case 1, simply by inserting the upper guide piece 56 into the upper guide slit 57 and the lower guide piece 63 into the lower guide slit 64, and having the lower support body 65 support and receive the unit box 22 from below, the lock unit 21 can be attached to the main case 1 so that it can slide forward and backward, making it easier to construct the support structure 50. Configuring the lock unit 21 to be slidable helps prevent additional costs for the locker device.

The lower guide piece 63 protrudes downward from the lower box wall 22d of the unit box 22, a lower guide slit 64 is opened in the lower support body 65, and the forward sliding movement of the lock unit 21 is restricted by the lower guide piece 63 abutting against the front edge of the lower guide slit 64. This limits the forward movement of the sliding lock unit 21 and holds it in the maintenance position. This simplifies the structure of the support structure 50 compared to when a separate structure is provided to hold the position of the lock unit 21, thereby preventing an increase in the cost of the locker device.

The upper guide 51 includes an upper support 58 that is fixed to the side wall 9 and receives and supports the upper box wall 22c of the unit box 22 from below. The upper support 58 is fixed at a distance from the left and right side surfaces 10 of the side wall 9 in the left-right direction, and an upper guide slit 57 is formed between the left and right side surfaces 10 of the side wall 9 and the edge 58a of the upper support 58 facing the side surfaces 10. This allows the unit box 22 to be received and supported by both the lower support 65 and the upper support 58, allowing the lock unit 21 to slide more smoothly compared to a configuration in which the load of the lock unit 21 is received from either the top or bottom. Furthermore, if the upper support 58 is fixed in a state spaced apart from the left and right side surfaces 10 of the side wall 9 in the left-right direction, and an upper guide slit 57 is formed between the left and right side surfaces 10 of the side wall 9 and the edge 58a of the upper support 58 facing the side surfaces 10, the upper guide slit 57 can be formed more easily by simply fixing the upper support 58 to the side surface 10 of the side wall 9. Furthermore, since the structure for receiving and supporting the lock unit 21 and the structure for guiding it back and forth can be formed simultaneously, the upper guide 51 can be formed more easily.

The side surfaces 10 of the left and right side walls 9 of the main case 1 are composed of a flat main surface 10a, a receiving surface 10b formed inward from the main surface 10a, and a rear surface 10c connecting the two surfaces 10a and 10b. A unit recess 24 is formed at the front corner of the side wall 9, defined by the receiving surface 10b and the rear surface 10c, for positioning the lock unit 21. When the lock unit 21 is in the stored position, the main surface 10a of the side surface 10 of the main case 1 and the side surface 22g of the unit box 22 for the lock unit 21 are flush with each other. This prevents the lock unit 21 from protruding from the side of the main case 1, giving the locker device a simple and clean appearance and improving the design effect of the locker device.

A striker 7 that is captured by an electric lock 8 protrudes rearward from the door 2. The electric lock 8 has a latch 27 that can be changed between a locked position in which the striker 7 is captured and the door 2 is locked, and an unlocked position in which the striker 7 is not captured. The latch 27 is located at the rear end of a capture recess 28 that is cut out rearward from the front of the electric lock 8. A catch window 69 is formed in the unit box 22 to allow the striker 7 to enter the interior of the unit box 22, and the electric lock 8 can be fixed inside the unit box 22 so that the capture recess 28 faces the catch window 69. In this way, since the latch 27 that captures the striker 7 is located at the rear end of the capture recess 28, access to the latch 27 is more difficult, thereby more reliably preventing unauthorized operation of the latch 27 from outside.

The main body case 1 is provided with multiple storage compartments 5 arranged in multiple vertical stages, with a single lock unit 21 located on each side. Multiple electric locks 8 are fixed inside the unit box 22, corresponding to each storage compartment 5. The electric locks 8 have latches 27 that can be positioned between a locked position, in which the striker 7 is engaged to lock the door 2, and an unlocked position, in which the striker 7 is not engaged. Each electric lock 8 is provided with an unlocking lever 29 that forcibly shifts the latch 27 from the locked position to the unlocked position. The lock unit 21 can be configured to include an operating piece 39 that operates the unlocking lever 29 of each electric lock 8 and an operating device 42 that simultaneously operates all operating pieces 39. This allows for the simultaneous unlocking of all electric locks 8, such as when all doors 2 need to be opened for maintenance or repair, by simply operating the operating device 42, all unlocking levers 29 can be operated. This significantly reduces the time and effort required for unlocking compared to unlocking each door 2 individually.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which the locker device according to the present invention is applied to a refrigerated locker, with the lock unit in the maintenance position. This is a longitudinal side view of a refrigerated locker. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of a refrigerated locker. FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 9. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main body case and the lock unit separated from each other. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the lock unit in the storage position. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 8. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the lock unit.

(Embodiment) Figures 1 to 11 show an embodiment in which the locker device of the present invention is applied to a refrigerated locker for storing items in a refrigerated state. In this embodiment, front, back, left, right, and top and bottom refer to the crossed arrows shown in Figures 1 to 3 and the indications near each arrow. In Figure 2, the refrigerated locker comprises a main case 1 consisting of a vertically elongated insulated box with a front opening, and four (or more) thermally insulating doors 2 attached to the front of the main case 1. The interior space and front opening of the main case 1 are divided into four upper and lower levels by three sets of lattice shelves 3 and partitions 4 spanning the left and right, and the interior of the main case 1 is divided into four upper and lower levels of storage compartments 5 by these lattice shelves 3 and partitions 4.

A door 2 is provided for each storage compartment 5. As shown in Figure 3, it is pivotally supported by a pair of upper and lower hinges 6 located between the left edge of the front of the main case 1 and the left edge of the rear of the door 2. The hinge 6 has a vertical hinge axis, and the door 2 pivots around the hinge axis to open and close the opening of the storage compartment 5. A striker 7 protrudes rearward from the center of the right edge of the rear of the door 2. The striker 7 is held in a closed position by being caught by an electric lock 8 located on the main case 1. The striker 7 is a U-shaped metal rod that opens forward in plan view. The electric lock 8 for each door 2 is controlled by a control device installed near the refrigerated locker. In Figure 7, reference numeral 9 denotes the right side wall (side wall) that forms the right side of the main case 1 and receives the swinging tip of the door 2. Furthermore, reference numeral 10 indicates the right side surface (side surface) of the side wall 9, and reference numeral 10a indicates a flat main surface that occupies most of the right side surface 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, an evaporator 11, which constitutes a refrigeration unit, is installed on the inner surface of the ceiling wall of the main case 1. A circulation fan 12 is provided in front of the evaporator 11. When the circulation fan 12 is driven, air cooled by the evaporator 11 circulates through the multi-stage storage chambers 5. A machine room 13 located below the main case 1 contains a compressor 14 and a condenser 15, which together with the evaporator 11 constitute a refrigeration unit, as well as a cooling fan 16 that generates cooling air within the machine room 13. The refrigerated locker has a machine room panel 17 removably attached to the front of the machine room 13, and a decorative panel 18 that covers the upper front edge of the main case 1 removably attached above the top door 2. When all doors 2 are closed, the front faces of the decorative panel 18, doors 2, and machine room panel 17 are configured to be approximately flush.

The electric locks 8 for each door 2 are incorporated into a lock unit 21, which is a separate unit from the main case 1. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the lock unit 21 is based on a unit box 22, to which four electric locks 8 corresponding to each door 2 are fixed. The unit box 22 is formed into a vertically elongated rectangular box shape by front and rear box walls 22a and 22b, upper and lower box walls 22c and 22d, and left and right box walls 22e and 22f. The left majority of the rear box wall 22b, the rear majority of the left box wall 22e, and the left side of the lower box wall 22d are cut out, and these cutouts form the maintenance window 23 for the lock unit 21. The cutout in the lower box wall 22d is stepped, relatively smaller at the front and relatively larger at the rear. In this embodiment, the electric locks 8 corresponding to each storage compartment 5 are assembled into a single unit box 22, which simplifies the configuration of the refrigerated locker compared to assembling the electric locks 8 corresponding to each storage compartment 5 into individual unit boxes 22.

The lock unit 21 configured as described above is installed on the right side wall 9 of the main case 1. More specifically, a unit recess 24 is formed in the front corner of the right side wall 9 of the main case 1, and the lock unit 21 is disposed within this unit recess 24. The unit recess 24 is formed as a recess defined by a receiving surface 10b formed inward to the left of the main surface 10a of the right side 10 of the right side wall 9, and a rear surface 10c formed on the rear side. The underside of the unit recess 24 is defined by the outer box 1a that forms the outer surface of the bottom wall of the main case 1. The left-to-right width dimensions of the unit box 22 and the unit recess 24 are set to be the same.

Each electric lock 8 is made of the same material and includes a hollow lock case 26 and a latch 27 housed within the lock case 26 that captures the striker 7. The latch 27 is a U-shaped member in side view with a capture groove, and can swing around a horizontal axis between the locked position in which it captures the striker 7 shown in Figure 4 and the unlocked position in which it does not capture the striker 7 shown in Figure 5. A capture recess 28 is formed by cutting out the front of the lock case 26 toward the rear, and the latch 27 is located at the rear end of the capture recess 28. In Figure 4 and other figures, reference numeral 29 denotes an unlocking lever that, when operated downward, forcibly shifts the latch 27 from the locked position to the unlocked position. Each electric lock 8 is fixed to the unit box 22 by fastening the lock case 26 to the left box wall 22e with screws.

A round-shaft pusher 32 is provided below each electric lock 8, biasing the closed door 2 in the opening direction. The pusher 32 is supported so as to be able to move forward and backward from the front box wall 22a via front and rear shaft support holes 34, 34 formed through the front box wall 22a and a shaft bracket 33 consisting of an L-shaped metal plate, and is biased in the forward direction by a biasing spring 35. The biasing spring 35 is fitted onto the pusher 32 between the shaft bracket 33 and a flange 36 formed on the middle of the pusher 32, and the flange 36 abuts against the inner surface of the front box wall 22a. The pusher 32 is fixed to the unit box 22 by fastening the shaft bracket 33 to the left box wall 22e with screws. When the control device opens the electric lock 8 and releases the striker 7 from the latch 27, the door 2 is unlocked and swung open by the force of the pusher 32, opening the storage compartment 5.

The lock unit 21 is equipped with an unlocking mechanism that simultaneously operates the unlocking levers 29 of all electric locks 8. The unlocking mechanism is composed of an operating piece 39 that operates the unlocking lever 29 for each electric lock 8, a connecting rod 40 that integrally connects each operating piece 39, a support arm 41 that supports the connecting rod 40 so that it can slide up and down, and an operating tool 42 that operates the connecting rod 40 by sliding it up and down. The connecting rod 40 is made of a long, vertically extending strip with a U-shaped cross section, and is provided with horizontal end plates 43 at each of the upper and lower ends. Each operating piece 39 is made of a vertical plate positioned above the unlocking lever 29 and protrudes leftward integrally from the rear edge of the connecting rod 40.

The support arms 41 that support the connecting rod 40 are provided in two locations midway up and down the unit box 22. As shown in Figure 3, the support arm 41 is crank-shaped in plan view, with its rear end fixed to the inner surface of the right box wall 22f and its front end separated to the left from the right box wall 22f. The connecting rod 40 has a vertically long slit 44 that corresponds to the support arm 41. The front end of the support arm 41 is inserted into the slit 44 and is prevented from coming loose by a retaining block 45 fixed to the front end, allowing the connecting rod 40 to slide up and down on the support arm 41.

As shown in FIG. 5, the operating device 42 includes a key cylinder 46 fixed to the lower end of the front box wall 22a and operated with a dedicated key, and an eccentric base 47 disposed within the unit box 22 and rotated 90 degrees between an operating position and a standby position by the key cylinder 46. The eccentric base 47 is made of a metal plate with a U-shaped cross section, and is formed so that the distance between the upper end of the eccentric base 47 and the central axis of the key cylinder 46 in the standby position, shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, is different from the distance between the upper end of the eccentric base 47 and the central axis of the key cylinder 46 in the operating position, shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6. The distance in the standby position is set smaller than the distance in the operating position. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the connecting rod 40 is held in position by the eccentric base 47 receiving the lower end plate 43, and is slid up and down by switching the eccentric base 47 between the standby position and the operating position using the key cylinder 46.

Specifically, when the eccentric base 47, which is in the standby position, is switched to the operating position using the key cylinder 46, the upper end of the eccentric base 47 supporting the end plate 43 lowers, causing the connecting rod 40 to slide downward under its own weight. This downward sliding of the connecting rod 40 simultaneously moves each operating piece 39 downward, which simultaneously operates the unlocking lever 29 downward, forcing the latch 27 of each electric lock 8 to move to the unlocking position. Conversely, when the eccentric base 47, which is in the operating position, is switched to the standby position using the key cylinder 46, the upper end of the eccentric base 47 supporting the end plate 43 rises, causing the connecting rod 40 to slide upward. This upward sliding of the connecting rod 40 simultaneously moves each operating piece 39 upward, releasing the operation of the unlocking lever 29 by each operating piece 39. The upper end of the eccentric base 47 that abuts against the end plate 43 in the standby position and the upper end of the eccentric base 47 that abuts against the end plate 43 in the operating position are rounded, allowing smooth up and down operation of the connecting rod 40.

The lock unit 21 is configured to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction relative to the main body case 1 between a storage position at the rear (see Figures 3 and 8) and a maintenance position (see Figure 1) that is closer to the front of the storage position (rear position), and is normally fixed in the storage position by a locking device 53. The support structure 50 that guides and supports the lock unit 21 so that it can slide in the front-to-rear direction is composed of an upper guide 51 provided between the upper end of the main body case 1 and the upper end of the unit box 22, and a lower guide 52 provided between the lower end of the main body case 1 and the lower end of the unit box 22.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the upper guide 51 is composed of an upper guide piece 56 provided on the unit box 22, an upper guide slit 57 formed above the main body case 1 to guide the upper guide piece 56 in the front-to-rear direction, and an upper support plate (upper support body) 58 that receives and supports the unit box 22 from below so that it can slide back and forth. The upper guide piece 56 is a vertical plate that protrudes downward from the rear end of the left edge of the upper box wall 22c. The upper support plate 58 is a horizontal rectangular plate that is long in the front-to-rear direction and is installed at the top end of the unit recess 24, and is equipped with a reinforcing plate 59 consisting of a vertical wall that continues downward from the left edge. Fixing pieces 60, 60 for attaching the upper support plate 58 to the main body case 1 are integrally formed on the rear edge of the upper support plate 58 and the front edge of the reinforcing plate 59. By fixing the front fixing piece 60 to the front surface of the main body case 1 and the rear fixing piece 60 to the rear surface 10c of the unit recess 24, the upper support plate 58 is attached integrally to the main body case 1 (see Figure 1).

The upper support plate 58 is fixed to the main body case 1 with the reinforcing plate 59 spaced apart from the receiving surface 10b. As a result, an upper guide slit 57 that is long in the front-to-rear direction and penetrates vertically is formed between the left edge (edge) 58a (reinforcing plate 59) of the upper support plate 58 and the receiving surface 10b. When the upper guide piece 56 is inserted into the upper guide slit 57, the upper box wall 22c of the unit box 22 is supported by the upper surface of the upper support plate 58. Movement of the unit box 22 to the right on the upper guide 51 is restricted by the upper guide piece 56 coming into contact with the upper support plate 58.

The lower guide 52 is composed of a lower guide piece 63 provided on the unit box 22, a lower guide slit 64 formed below the main body case 1 to guide the lower guide piece 63 in the front-to-rear direction, and a lower support plate (lower support body) 65 that supports and receives the unit box 22 from below. The lower guide piece 63 protrudes downward from the rear left edge of the lower box wall 22d. The lower support plate 65 is composed of the outer box 1a of the main body case 1, which defines the underside of the unit recess 24.

The left side of the lower support plate 65 facing the unit recess 24 is cut out, with a relatively small cutout at the front and a relatively large cutout at the rear. The lower support plate 65 has a long opening in the front-to-rear direction with a step 66 midway between the front and rear (see Figure 7). This opening forms the lower guide slit 64 of the lower guide 52. The step 66 also forms the front edge of the lower guide slit 64. The lower box wall 22d of the unit box 22 is supported by the upper surface of the lower support plate 65, and the lower guide piece 63 is guided in the front-to-rear direction while sliding against the edge of the rear half of the lower support plate 65. Furthermore, rightward movement of the unit box 22 on the lower guide 52 is restricted by the lower guide piece 63 contacting the lower support plate 65.

As shown in Figure 8, the locking device 53 is composed of screws that fasten the upper box wall 22c to the upper support plate 58, and the front box wall 22a to the wall surface 54 that defines the machine room 13. Two locking devices 53 are arranged in front and behind the upper box wall 22c between the upper box wall 22c and the upper support plate 58, and one locking device 53 is arranged at the lower end of the front box wall 22a between the front box wall 22a and the wall surface 54. With the lock unit 21 displaced to the storage position, the locking device 53 is screwed into the upper support plate 58 via the upper box wall 22c, and then screwed into the wall surface 54 via the front box wall 22a, thereby fixing the locking unit 21 in the storage position.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, when the lock unit 21 is fixed in the storage position, the rear edge of the left box wall 22e of the unit box 22 abuts against the receiving surface 10b, and the rear box wall 22b of the unit box 22 abuts against the rear surface 10c. In this state, the rear, lower, and left box walls 22b, 22d, and 22e of the unit box 22 face directly toward the rear surface 10c, receiving surface 10b, and upper surface of the upper support plate 58, respectively, and the maintenance window 23 is blocked by the rear surface 10c, receiving surface 10b, and upper surface of the upper support plate 58.

As explained above, the left-right width dimensions of the unit box 22 and the unit recess 24 are set to be the same, so when the lock unit 21 is fixed in the storage position, the outer surface of the right box wall 22f (the right side of the unit box 22) is configured to be flush with the main surface 10a of the side surface 10 of the main case 1. In this embodiment, the vertical dimensions of the unit box 22 and the unit recess 24 are also set to be the same, so the upper box wall 22c (the upper surface of the unit box 22) is configured to be flush with the upper surface of the main case 1. In addition, the front-to-rear dimension of the unit box 22 is set larger than the front-to-rear dimension of the unit recess 24, so the front box wall 22a (the front surface of the lock unit 21) is located further forward than the front surface of the main case 1, and the front end of the lock unit 21 protrudes forward beyond the front surface of the main case 1 (see Figure 8).

As shown in Figures 3 and 8, the unit box 22 has a catch window 69 formed in a portion that protrudes forward from the front of the main case 1, allowing the striker 7 to enter the lock unit 21. The catch window 69 is provided corresponding to each electric lock 8 and is formed as a cutout across the front and left box walls 22a and 22e. Each electric lock 8 is fixed inside the unit box 22 so that the catch recess 28 faces the catch window 69. When the open door 2 is closed, the striker 7 enters the catch recess 28 through the catch window 69 and is captured by the latch 27.

To attach the lock unit 21 to the main case 1, first assemble the electric lock 8, pusher 32, and unlocking mechanism into the unit box 22 as shown in Figure 7 to form the lock unit 21. Next, insert the upper guide piece 56 from above into the upper guide slit 57, and the lower guide piece 63 from above into the lower guide slit 64, allowing the lower support plate 65 to support and receive the unit box 22 from below. This allows the lock unit 21 to be assembled to the main case 1 so that it can slide forward and backward. Finally, slide the lock unit 21 to the rear storage position and attach the locking device 53, thereby securing the lock unit 21 to the main case 1. After securing the lock unit 21, attach the machine room panel 17 to the front of the machine room 13 with screws, and then attach the decorative panel 18 to the top of the main case 1 with screws. When the machine room panel 17 and decorative panel 18 are installed and all doors 2 are closed, the front of the lock unit 21 is covered by both panels 17 and 18 and the door 2.

To access the electric lock 8 for maintenance or repair, as shown in Figure 11, first remove the panels 17 and 18 covering the front of the lock unit 21 and the door 2. Specifically, the screws securing the machine room panel 17 and decorative panel 18 are removed to separate the panels 17 and 18. Next, each door 2 is opened by inserting a key into the key cylinder 46 and switching the eccentric base 47 from the standby position to the operating position, which simultaneously operates the unlock levers 29 of each electric lock 8 with the operating piece 39. This forcibly unlocks the electric lock 8 corresponding to each door 2, allowing all doors 2 to be opened with a single operation. An insertion hole 70 facing the key cylinder 46 is provided in the upper right corner of the machine room panel 17. It is possible to insert a key through the insertion hole 70 to operate the key cylinder 46, allowing the door 2 to be opened before separating the machine room panel 17.

After removing both panels 17 and 18 and the door 2, removing the locking device 53 releases the lock unit 21, allowing it to slide back and forth. In this state, sliding the lock unit 21 forward from the storage position to the maintenance position exposes the maintenance window 23, allowing access to the electric lock 8 (see Figure 1). When the lock unit 21 is pulled out, the lower guide piece 63 abuts against the step 66 of the lower guide slit 64 (the front edge of the lower guide slit 64), restricting its forward sliding, and the lock unit 21 stops sliding in the maintenance position. Furthermore, the upper guide piece 56 of the upper guide 51 abuts against the front fixing piece 60, restricting its forward sliding. After maintenance or repairs are complete, the lock unit 21 is slid backward from the maintenance position to the storage position, the locking device 53 secures the lock unit 21, and the panels 17 and 18 are reattached and the door 2 is closed.

As described above, in the refrigerated locker of this embodiment, the lock unit 21, located on the right side of the main case 1 that receives the swinging tip of the door 2, is configured to slide forward and backward relative to the main case 1 between a rear storage position and a maintenance position that is more forward than the rear position. When the lock unit 21 is in the storage position, the maintenance window 23 is blocked by the left and right side walls 9 of the main case 1. When the lock unit 21 is displaced to the maintenance position, the maintenance window 23 is unblocked by the side walls 9, allowing access to the electric lock 8 through the maintenance window 23. With this refrigerated locker, maintenance and repairs can be performed on the electric lock 8 by displacing the lock unit 21 to the maintenance position. Furthermore, after maintenance and repairs are completed, the maintenance window 23 can be blocked by displacing the lock unit 21 to the storage position and securing it to the main case 1 with the locking device 53. This makes it difficult to access the electric lock 8 and prevents unauthorized unlocking. As described above, according to this embodiment, by normally positioning the lock unit 21 in the storage position, it is possible to make access to the electric lock 8 difficult and prevent unauthorized unlocking, resulting in a highly reliable locker device. Furthermore, by positioning the lock unit 21 in the maintenance position during maintenance or repair, it is possible to easily access the electric lock 8, resulting in a locker device with excellent workability.

The upper guide 51, which constitutes the support structure 50 that slidably supports the lock unit 21, is composed of an upper guide piece 56 that protrudes downward from the unit box 22 and an upper guide slit 57 formed above the main case 1 and guides the upper guide piece 56 in the front-to-rear direction. The lower guide 52 is composed of a lower guide piece 63 that protrudes downward from the unit box 22 and a lower guide slit 64 formed below the main case 1 and guides the lower guide piece 63 in the front-to-rear direction, and a lower support plate 65 that supports and receives the unit box 22 from below. With this configuration, simply inserting the upper guide piece 56 into the upper guide slit 57 and the lower guide piece 63 into the lower guide slit 64, and having the lower support plate 65 support and receive the unit box 22 from below, allows the lock unit 21 to be slidably mounted to the main case 1 in the front-to-rear direction, making construction of the support structure 50 easier. The cost increase associated with configuring the lock unit 21 to be slidable is reduced.

The lower guide piece 63 protrudes downward from the lower box wall 22d of the unit box 22, a lower guide slit 64 is formed in the lower support plate 65, and the forward sliding movement of the lock unit 21 is restricted by the lower guide piece 63 abutting against a step 66 (front edge) formed in the lower guide slit 64. This limits the forward movement of the sliding lock unit 21 and holds it in the maintenance position. This simplifies the structure of the support structure 50 compared to when a separate structure is provided to hold the position of the lock unit 21, thereby preventing any increase in the cost of the locker device.

The upper guide 51 is fixed to the side wall 9 and includes an upper support plate 58 that receives and supports the upper box wall 22c of the unit box 22 from below. The upper support plate 58 is fixed spaced apart from the left and right side surfaces 10 of the side wall 9 in the left-right direction, and an upper guide slit 57 is formed between the left and right side surfaces 10 of the side wall 9 and the left edge 58a of the upper support plate 58 facing the side surfaces 10. This allows the unit box 22 to be received and supported by both the lower support plate 65 and the upper support plate 58, allowing the lock unit 21 to slide more smoothly compared to a configuration in which the load of the lock unit 21 is received from either the top or bottom. Furthermore, the upper support plate 58 is fixed in a state spaced apart from the left and right side surfaces 10 of the side wall 9 in the left-right direction, and an upper guide slit 57 is formed between the left and right side surfaces 10 of the side wall 9 and the left edge 58a of the upper support plate 58 facing the side surfaces 10. This means that the upper guide slit 57 is formed simply by fixing the upper support plate 58 to the side surface 10 of the side wall 9, making it easier to form the upper guide slit 57. Furthermore, because the structure for receiving and supporting the lock unit 21 and the structure for guiding it back and forth can be formed simultaneously, the upper guide 51 can be formed more easily.

The side surfaces 10 of the left and right side walls 9 of the main case 1 are composed of a flat main surface 10a, a receiving surface 10b formed inward from the main surface 10a, and a rear surface 10c connecting the two surfaces 10a and 10b. A unit recess 24 is formed at the front corner of the side wall 9, defined by the receiving surface 10b and the rear surface 10c, and is used to place the lock unit 21. When the lock unit 21 is in the stored position, the main surface 10a of the side surface 10 of the main case 1 and the side surface 22g of the unit box 22 for the lock unit 21 are flush with each other. This prevents the lock unit 21 from protruding from the side of the main case 1, giving the locker device a simple and clean appearance and improving the design effect of the locker device.

The latch 27 of the electric lock 8 is located at the rear end of a capture recess 28 formed by cutting out the front surface of the electric lock 8 facing rearward, and a catch window 69 is formed in the unit box 22 to allow the striker 7 to enter the interior of the unit box 22. The electric lock 8 is then fixed inside the unit box 22 so that the capture recess 28 faces the catch window 69. In this way, because the latch 27 that captures the striker 7 is located at the rear end of the capture recess 28, access to the latch 27 is made more difficult, which more reliably prevents the latch 27 from being tampered with from the outside.

The main body case 1 is provided with multiple storage compartments 5 arranged in multiple vertical stages, with a single lock unit 21 positioned on each side. Multiple electric locks 8 are fixed inside the unit box 22, corresponding to each storage compartment 5. Each electric lock 8 is equipped with an unlocking lever 29 that forcibly shifts the latch 27 from the locked position to the unlocked position. The lock unit 21 is equipped with an operating piece 39 that operates the unlocking lever 29 of each electric lock 8, and an operating device 42 that operates all operating pieces 39 simultaneously. This allows all the electric locks 8 to be unlocked simultaneously, such as when opening all doors 2 for maintenance or repair, by simply operating the operating device 42. This significantly reduces the effort and time required for the unlocking operation compared to unlocking each door 2 individually.

In the above embodiment, the lock unit 21 is placed in the unit recess 24, but the lock unit 21 may also be placed in the unit recess 24 so that it protrudes from the side of the main case 1. Multiple lock units 21 can be provided, one for each door 2. The refrigerated locker may be configured with the left and right sides facing in opposite directions. The present invention can also be applied to locker devices other than refrigerated lockers.

1 Main body case 2 Door 5 Storage room 7 Striker 8 Electric lock 9 Side wall 10 Left and right side surfaces of the side wall (right side surface of the side wall)
10a Main surface 10b Receiving surface 10c Rear surface 21 Lock unit 22 Unit box 22c Upper box wall 22d Lower box wall 22g Side surface of unit box 23 Maintenance window 24 Unit recess 27 Latch 28 Capture recess 29 Unlock lever 39 Operation piece 42 Operation tool 50 Support structure 51 Upper guide 52 Lower guide 53 Locking tool 56 Upper guide piece 57 Upper guide slit 58 Upper support body (upper support plate)
58a: Edge of upper support 63: Lower guide piece 64: Lower guide slit 65: Lower support (lower support plate)
69 Catch window

Claims (7)

A locker device comprising a main body case (1) having a storage chamber (5), a door (2) that swings open and closes a front opening of the storage chamber (5), and an electric lock (8) that holds the door (2) in a closed position.
Lock units (21) are provided on the left and right sides of the main body case (1) that receive the swing tip of the door (2),
The lock unit (21) comprises a vertically long box-shaped unit box (22) and an electric lock (8) fixed inside the unit box (22), and the unit box (22) is formed with a maintenance window (23) for accessing the electric lock (8) during maintenance work.
The lock unit (21) is configured to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction relative to the main body case (1) between a storage position on the rear side and a maintenance position closer to the front of the storage position, and is normally fixed to the storage position by a locking device (53).
This locker device is characterized in that when the lock unit (21) is in the storage position, the maintenance window (23) is blocked by the left and right side walls (9) of the main body case (1), and when the lock unit (21) is displaced to the maintenance position, the maintenance window (23) is unblocked by the side walls (9), allowing access to the electric lock (8) through the maintenance window (23). The support structure (50) that supports the lock unit (21) so that it can slide is composed of an upper guide (51) provided between the main body case (1) and the upper end of the unit box (22), and a lower guide (52) provided between the main body case (1) and the lower end of the unit box (22),
The upper guide (51) is composed of an upper guide piece (56) formed to protrude downward from the unit box (22), and an upper guide slit (57) formed above the main body case (1) to guide the upper guide piece (56) in the front-rear direction,
2. The locker device according to claim 1, wherein the lower guide (52) is composed of a lower guide piece (63) formed to protrude downward from the unit box (22), a lower guide slit (64) formed below the main body case (1) to guide the lower guide piece (63) in the front-to-rear direction, and a lower support body (65) that receives and supports the unit box (22) from below. The lower guide piece (63) is formed to protrude downward from the lower box wall (22d) of the unit box (22), and a lower guide slit (64) is opened in the lower support (65),
3. The locker device according to claim 2, wherein the forward sliding displacement of the lock unit (21) is restricted by the lower guide piece (63) abutting against the front edge of the lower guide slit (64). The upper guide (51) includes an upper support (58) that is fixed to the side wall (9) and receives and supports the upper box wall (22c) of the unit box (22) from below;
The upper support (58) is fixed to the left and right side surfaces (10) of the side wall (9) in a state spaced apart in the left-right direction,
3. The rocker device according to claim 2, wherein upper guide slits (57) are formed between the left and right side surfaces (10) of the side wall (9) and the edge portions (58a) of the upper support (58) facing the side surfaces (10). The side surfaces (10) of the left and right side walls (9) of the main body case (1) are composed of a flat main surface (10a), a receiving surface (10b) formed inwardly to the left and right of the main surface (10a), and a rear surface (10c) connecting the two surfaces (10a, 10b),
The front corner of the side wall (9) is formed with a unit recess (24) defined by the receiving surface (10b) and the rear surface (10c) for arranging the lock unit (21).
A locker device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the lock unit (21) is in the storage position, the main surface (10a) of the side (10) of the main body case (1) and the side (22g) of the unit box (22) of the lock unit (21) are configured to be flush with each other. A striker (7) that is caught by an electric lock (8) is protruding backward from the door (2),
The electric lock (8) has a latch (27) that can be changed between a locking position where the striker (7) is caught to lock the door (2) and an unlocking position where the striker (7) is not caught, and the latch (27) is provided at the rear end of a catch recess (28) that is formed by cutting rearward from the front surface of the electric lock (8).
A catch window (69) is formed in the unit box (22) to allow the striker (7) to enter the inside of the unit box (22),
2. The locker device according to claim 1, wherein the electric lock (8) is fixed inside the unit box (22) so that the catch recess (28) faces the catch window (69). The main body case (1) is provided with a plurality of storage chambers (5) arranged in multiple levels, one above the other, and a lock unit (21) is provided on each of the left and right sides of the storage chambers.
A plurality of electric locks (8) are fixed inside the unit box (22) in correspondence with each storage room (5),
The electric lock (8) has a latch (27) that can change its position between a locking position where it catches the striker (7) to lock the door (2) and an unlocking position where it does not catch the striker (7),
Each electric lock (8) is provided with an unlocking lever (29) that forcibly displaces the latch (27) from the locked position to the unlocked position.
A locker device as described in claim 1, wherein the lock unit (21) is provided with an operating piece (39) for operating the unlocking lever (29) of each electric lock (8) and an operating tool (42) for simultaneously operating all the operating pieces (39).