WO2018083337A2

WO2018083337A2 - Drone deployment system, emergency protection device, drone and delivery chute

Info

Publication number: WO2018083337A2
Application number: PCT/EP2017/078466
Authority: WO
Inventors: Manfred Kaspar Wolff
Original assignee: Manfred Kaspar Wolff
Priority date: 2016-11-07
Filing date: 2017-11-07
Publication date: 2018-05-11
Also published as: DE112017005587A5; WO2018083337A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a drone deployment system, an emergency protection device, a drone and a delivery chute. The drone deployment system comprises a container that can be transported by means of a vehicle, such as a lorry, train or ship, for holding one or more drones and for holding one or more parcels which can be arranged in the container such that each parcel can be picked up and transported away from the container by one of the drones.

Description

Drone deployment system, emergency shielding device, drone and delivery shaft

The invention relates to a drone deployment system, an emergency shielding device, a drone and a delivery shaft.

There is intensive research on the delivery of parcels using drones. The use of drones is becoming more and more popular. Drones are not only used to carry parcels, but also to take aerial photographs, carrying high-quality cameras or cameras. If a drone fails, there is a significant risk of injury from the falling drone. Furthermore, the drone and / or the items to be transported with the drone, such as a camera, a camera or packages may be damaged.

The use of drones to deliver packages is very beneficial as drones can deliver the packages fully automatically without the involvement of personnel. However, both the speed of flight and the range of drones is limited. Furthermore, in some countries there are political reservations about the fact that intensive airborne traffic is not acceptable.

On the one hand, you would like to deliver packages by drone, on the other hand, there is a significant need to keep the flight time of the drones as low as possible to keep the drone load of the airspace as low as possible.

The newspaper WELT published on September 7, 2015, an article by Birger Nicolai titled "Why the parcel carrier will not ring soon" online at www.welt.de, in which parcel boxes are described for apartment buildings, so that a parcel supplier a package without the recipient being present. The recipient is notified either by SMS or e-mail and can open his parcel compartment using a computer chip. A return can also be carried out by means of this parcel compartment. The company AUDI AG is planning to use a trunk of a motor vehicle as a delivery compartment for delivering parcels as part of the project "Audi Connect Easy Delivery." The trunk of the motor vehicle is temporarily unlocked by a parcel delivery service for a single opening for a drone, a drone or a drone deployment system with which one or more disadvantages of the above-described prior art are avoided.

Another object of the present invention is to increase the safety of operating drones.

Another object of the invention is to improve the efficiency in the delivery of parcels by drones. Another object of the invention is to provide a delivery well for drones transmitted packets.

One or more of these objects are achieved by the subject-matter specified in the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are specified in the respective subclaims.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a drone deployment system comprising a container for receiving one or more drones and for receiving one or more packages, wherein the packages in the container are disposable to each received and removed by one of the drones be transported from the container. The drones are preferably designed in accordance with the embodiments explained above.

By providing a container in which one or more drones and parcels can be picked up so that the drones can pick up the packages and transport them away from the container, the container can first be filled with parcels and drones, then transported to a location which is located near the receiver so that the drones distribute the individual packets from there to the receivers. hereby the drones themselves have to travel only a short distance from the container to the receivers. But this can be done fully automatically. It is not necessary for a delivery person to personally approach all recipients. The receivers in the immediate vicinity of the container are thus automatically supplied. The respective routes and thus the flight times are short. The burden of the airspace by the drones is low. After delivering the packages, the container can be moved to another location to which additional recipients are supplied.

Since the container can be transported to different locations, it can also be referred to as a transport container.

Likewise, the drones can pick up new packages and deliver them to the container.

The container is preferably a standard container provided with a truck, a freight train, a ship, an aircraft, such as a boat. an airplane, drone or airship, can be moved. The standard container preferably has the usual fixing means for attaching the container to the respective vehicles. The container or container is preferably stackable, so that a plurality of containers can be stored one above the other. The container may also be permanently connected to a vehicle.

The container may be designed to receive one or more modules, wherein the modules are designed to receive one or more packages and / or to hold one or more drones. As a result, the containers can be quickly loaded and unloaded by replacing the corresponding modules. In a transhipment station, the individual modules can be equipped with drones and / or parcels. The ready assembled modules are used in the container as a unit. The container can then be quickly brought to the place of use.

The modules can also be designed so that they can each accommodate a plurality of packages, and each can accommodate one or more drones, which are provided for further transport of the packages of the respective module.

The container may also have a portion which is not intended for receiving modules. This section is preferably closed by means of a door and serves as a manually loading and unloading storage space.

The container or modules may each comprise a conveyor for conveying a drone to a take-off position and / or a conveyor for conveying a parcel in a receiving position, in which the package can be picked up by a drone. The conveyor preferably has a closed conveying path. It may for example be formed with a circular conveying path. Such a circular conveying path can be represented by a delivery wheel.

With such a conveyor for the packages, one package can be brought into a receiving position, in which it can be picked up by a drone and transported on. If the container or the module comprises several drones, then a drone can be brought into a take-off position with the conveyor, from which the drone can fly out of the container unhindered.

The container preferably has a closure device in the region of a container wall. Preferably, the closure device is provided in a top wall of the container or instead of a top wall, so that the container can be opened upwards. The closure device allows automatic opening and closing of an opening of the container. The closure device may for example be a roller door. The closure device can also be formed from one or more plate elements, which are movable by means of an adjusting device similar to a sunroof in a motor vehicle.

When the closure device is arranged in the region of the top wall of the container, it is advantageous for the drones to be able to escape upwards out of the container. Openings in the area of the top wall also have the advantage that several containers can be placed side by side or the containers adjacent to buildings, so that the side walls of the container are not accessible. Nevertheless, the drones can fly out of the container and distribute the packages.

A power supply module can also be provided in the container. The energy supply module may comprise accumulators, a fuel cell and / or a generator driven by an internal combustion engine.

According to a preferred embodiment, one or more replaceable modules are fixed by means of vertically extending guide rails in the container in the horizontal direction, so that they can be removed from the container at the top. These modules may include the modules for recording drones and / or for receiving the packets or else the power supply module. The container has on the ceiling wall on a correspondingly large opening, so that the modules can be taken out at the top. The modules are preferably provided with eyelets, so that a crane attack on the modules can. The modules used in the container are fixed by the guide rails in the horizontal direction, that is, that they can not be moved forward or to the side in the container. There is only a small amount of play, so that the modules can slide along the rails. Preferably, a fixing device is provided. The fixing device can be designed for automatic or manual actuation. With such a fixing device, the modules can be pressed against the guide rails, so that they are fixed by friction in the vertical direction. However, the fixation devices may, for example, also be designed as bayonet inserts or as locking pins which can be introduced into corresponding openings in the container and the respective module, with which they can be fixed in the container and in particular on the fixation rails.

The guide rails may be formed of a good heat conducting material, so that they act as a heat conductor or heat exchanger between the modules and the environment. On the other hand, the modules can also be thermally insulated, in which case rails made of a poorly heat-conducting material can be provided.

The modules can in particular be provided with a tempering device or air conditioning in order to keep the interior of the module at a predetermined temperature.

The modules may have lateral recesses below that allow forklift trucks, especially forklifts, to drive their tines into the pallet and lift them. As a result, a transport container can be loaded and unloaded quickly and easily with several modules. The recesses preferably correspond to the standard EN 13698-1, with which Europool pallets are defined. For narrow modules, however, it may be appropriate to deviate from this standard.

The bottom of the modules and a bottom wall of the container are preferably formed complementarily contoured to each other. As a result, the modules are automatically aligned in a specific position on the bottom wall of the container. Preferably, the complementary shapes have slopes which, when a module is parked in the container, automatically align it within a certain tolerance range due to gravity. The complementary contours can also be designed in the form of guide rails, so that a module can slide laterally into the container. The underside or the lower region of the modules can be elastically resilient. Such an elastically resilient configuration of the modules reduces shocks when parking them, in particular when inserted into a transport container. The elastic suspension can be formed by spring, insulation or resistance clamping element or as a spiral or leaf spring. However, it can also be an elastic material, such as

Rubber, be provided as a spring element.

The underside can be provided with an anti-slip layer. The anti-slip layer preferably has a rough and / or soft-elastic surface.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an emergency shielding device is provided with a control device and a shielding element, wherein the control device is designed to detect an emergency and to activate the shielding element, if it detects an emergency, so that by activating the Abschirmele- this ment at least unfolded in the area below the drone.

The shielding thus forms an emergency shield or a damping body in the area below the drone in case of emergency. This dampens the impact of the drone, thereby reducing the risk of personal injury or damage to items carried by the drone.

The shielding member may be formed as a compressible body, which is kept in the compressed state until an emergency occurs. Upon detecting an emergency, the compressible body is released, for example, by automatically opening a container in which the body is located, so that the compressible body automatically relaxes. The compressible body may be formed of foam, for example. At the drone, several such shielding elements can be provided, which together cover the underside of the drone as fully as possible. The shielding element may also comprise a plurality of serpentine bodies. Such serpentine bodies may be, for example, inflatable bodies by means of a gas filling device. The serpentine bodies can tangle and overlap each other in an emergency, forming a kind of structure net that absorbs a crash. The shielding element may be formed from one or more body covering a lower surface of the drone. The shielding element may comprise one or more foam bodies, wherein the

Foam body are formed as a foam body and / or as limited by means of a film body in which a foaming material is located. For the purposes of the present disclosure, a film is any flat, flexible material, such as a plastic film, fabric, material that can limit the spread of a foaming material. The film may be air or gas impermeable. However, it may also be air or gas permeable, depending on which foaming material or other filling (e.g., gas) is inside the film. The foaming material is preferably a two-component chemical material which, in an emergency, is brought together to perform a rapid chemical reaction which produces a gas which foams the remaining material. Such foams are for example based on polyurethane.

The shielding element may comprise one or more inflatable bags, which are inflated upon activation by means of a gas filling device. The gas filling device may comprise a chemically reacting substance mixture and / or a gas cartridge and / or a mechanical air guiding device. Such chemically reacting mixtures are usually explosive substances that quickly generate a large volume of gas. They are ignited in an emergency with a corresponding ignition device. However, it may also be expedient to connect the inflatable bag to an air guiding device, such as, for example, a surface structure which is present on the drone and which is designed such that air is guided into one or more openings of the bag when the drone falls down that it inflates. Such a shielding element can be activated, for example, by either automatically opening the openings of the airbag, for receiving the air in the event of an emergency, and / or automatically moving the air-conducting device in such an emergency, for example, tilting it so that air moves in the direction of the openings of the bag is directed. This airbag can also be activated such that it is held on the drone in normal operation in a folded arrangement with suitable enclosing elements which are released in an emergency, so that the bag can absorb air as the drone falls through suitable openings and autonomously open up. blows.

Such an air bag takes a few meters when dropping a drone to inflate. The advantage of such an airbag is that it requires no further elements that actively controls the operation of the airbag.

In order to reduce the necessary drop height for inflating the airbag, it may be expedient to activate the airbag by means of a chemically reacting substance mixture, in particular an explosion mixture to start, which fills the airbag with a first amount of air, which is supplemented by the additional amount of air supplied.

The controller preferably includes a sensor to detect an emergency. The control device can have one or more sensors from the following group:

- acceleration sensor

- Altimeter

- Pressure sensor

- Radar sensor

- Speed sensor for measuring the speed of one or more drive motors and / or one or more rotors

- Microphone

- Vibration sensor. With the accelerometer, altimeter, pressure sensor, radar sensor, speed sensor, the microphone and the vibration sensor properties or conditions of the drone can be measured independently of the components of the aircraft, ie, that the emergency shield can be retrofitted to an existing drone without in the electrical or mechanical components of the existing drone must be intervened and changes must be made. With the accelerometer, altimeter, pressure sensor, which measures the air pressure, and the radar sensor can be detected immediately a drop of the drone. The speed sensor for measuring the rotational speed of one or more drive motors and / or one or more rotors is used to determine whether the drive device of the drone is in operation. This can also be determined by means of the microphone or a vibration sensor, since the drone generates a predetermined sound during operation or the drone body is subject to predetermined vibrations.

The control device preferably has an energy supply independent of a flying device of a drone.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a drone having an emergency shielding device as explained above, the flying device having substantially accomplishing and controlling the flight motion of the drone.

The flying device may be formed with one or more drive motors for driving one or more rotors. The rotors can also be designed as propellers or impellers. The emergency shielding device of the above-explained embodiments of the drones can be designed as a retrofittable unit. The Notfallabschirmeinrichtung thus represents an independent inventive idea.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a delivery well for drone-transmitted packets is provided. This delivery shaft comprises a vertical, tubular shaft which is delimited by approximately vertical walls and has an upwardly pointing opening for receiving parcels, wherein at least one closure flap is pivotably arranged on the opening in such a way that the closure flap is supported by a parcel pivots to a predetermined weight to the side, so that the package falls into the shaft and the shutter then closes automatically.

By providing a hopper having an upwardly facing opening for receiving packets closed by a shutter, drones can drop the packages to be delivered into the hopper, and then the shutter opens automatically so that the package opens in the shaft falls. The package can thus be delivered by a drone, without the recipient of the package must be present in person. The fact that the flap closes automatically after the delivery of the packet, the package is stored in the delivery shaft and protected from environmental influences, such as sun, rain or snow.

Preferably, the closure flap is loaded with a weight and / or a spring such that it closes the delivery shaft in the unloaded state.

The closure flap is preferably designed such that it completely closes the delivery shaft over its entire cross-sectional area. For this purpose, the closure flap has a surface without openings or openings. The top of the flap may be provided with a soft-elastic layer to cushion impact of a package. This is particularly advantageous in connection with the loading of the closure flap with a weight and / or a spring, since the closure flap yields automatically when a predetermined weight is applied. Even with this automatic yielding a collision of a package is damped on the shutter. The top of the closure flap may be perforated such that water on the surface of the closure flap may enter the closure flap and be diverted through a non-perforated plate at the bottom of the closure cap. The shutter is preferably in the delivery-shutting state, the closed state, disposed in the hopper such that its upwardly facing surface is inclined, with a gutter formed at a lowermost edge of the sloped surface, or the lowermost edge of the inclined surface a rain gutter is coupled, which is attached to a wall of the delivery shaft. This rainwater can be safely dissipated without it enters the delivery shaft. For coupling the closure flap to the gutter, a sealing element can also be provided, so that in the closed state of the closure flap it is ensured that the water passing on the closure flap is reliably led away via the gutter. The delivery well may include a heater for heating the upwardly facing surface of the closure flap. This makes it possible that snow is melted and is reliably dissipated as water. If possible, such a heating device should be designed and arranged so that an outlet for the water or an existing gutter is also heated, so that the water can be reliably removed from the delivery shaft. The heating device may comprise heating wires, which are integrated in the closure flap and optionally in a drain and / or a gutter. However, the heater may also be designed as an infrared radiator whose radiation is directed to the closure flap and also to a drain and / or a gutter. The infrared radiator may be disposed above the closure flap so that it radiates onto the outer, upwardly facing surface of the closure flap. However, the infrared radiator can also be arranged in the delivery shaft, so that it heats the closure flap from the inside. Both arrangements have specific advantages. In the arrangement in which the infrared radiator radiates from above onto the outer surface of the closure flap, the energy is deposited at the area, namely the outer surface, where it is most important, since here snow is to be melted. In the arrangement within the delivery well, the outer surface of the closure flap is heated only indirectly. As a result, a large part of the heat energy radiated by the infrared radiator is held within the delivery shaft, so that the delivery shaft is heated in its interior.

However, any other heating devices, such as a hot air blower, a, connected to a central heating radiator or the like may be provided in or on the delivery shaft. The delivery shaft may have a plurality of vertically spaced shutters. With such an arrangement of a plurality of shutters arranged one above another, the impact of a package upon delivery can be damped step by step, wherein preferably the resistance for swinging the closure flap increases with increasing depth in the feed chute. This means that a delivered package at the first closure flap, with which it comes into contact, is braked with a lower resistance than by the subsequent closure flap (s). The bottom of the delivery well may be lined with a soft elastic material, such as foam, so as to dampen impact of a parcel on the ground.

The closure flap can be closed in the state closing off the delivery shaft with a closing mechanism, such as a magnetic closure or snap-in closure, for example, which automatically opens at a predetermined load. This ensures that the delivery shaft is opened only when a certain minimum weight or a certain minimum momentum is applied to the closure flap. The closure flap can be closed in the state closing the delivery shaft by means of an electrically activatable closing mechanism. This locking mechanism can be opened by a control device, wherein the control device is connected to a receiver, so that after receiving a predetermined message, the closing mechanism is opened. The message can be transmitted by means of an electromagnetic or optical signal. By receiving this message, it is possible to determine if there is a drone near the delivery shaft that is entitled to drop a package in the delivery shaft. Basically, a supplier who is not a drone can authorize by means of a corresponding transmitter to the delivery shaft to deposit a package in it (possibility of refusal of acceptance).

The delivery shaft can be provided with a transmitting device for transmitting a locating signal and / or an identification signal identifying the delivery shaft, so that a drone can easily locate and / or identify the delivery shaft. Drones for delivering parcels are usually directed by satellite navigation. However, the accuracy of the available navigation signals is not always sufficient to reliably control a shaft opening with an area of, for example, 101 m ² . If the identification and the location of the delivery shaft by means of a local transmitter, so may Drone on the one hand reliably identify the delivery shaft and on the other hand determine the exact position of the delivery shaft and store or discard the package correctly.

The walls of the delivery shaft and / or the closure flap can be provided with a thermal insulation see. As a result, the interior of the delivery shaft is thermally decoupled from the environment.

In the delivery shaft, a detection device for detecting whether a package is present, be provided. Such a detection device can be a capacitive proximity sensor which detects the presence of any body in the delivery shaft. However, the detection device can also be designed as a camera with which the body is detected. An image captured by the camera can be evaluated by means of an image analysis to determine whether a body is present. With such an evaluation, the type, size and type of the body or the package can be determined. If packages are used which have an electrically readable code, such as a bar code, QR code, an RFID chip or the like, then a corresponding reading device can be provided in the delivery shaft, which reads, records and forwards this code. In this way, a user of the delivery shaft can be informed that a package is present and also informed about which package has been delivered. Such a device for reading a machine-readable code represents an identification device with which the packet can be identified.

Such a delivery chute may be open at the bottom and coupled to another chute so that a delivered parcel will slip through the chute to a predetermined receiving area. However, the delivery shaft can also be provided with a bottom on which the package is stopped. In the area of the bottom, a removal device for removing a delivered package is provided. Such a removal device may be a flap. In particular, this flap can be closed, so that only authorized persons who have a suitable key can remove packages from the delivery shaft. As a removal device, a transport mechanism, such as a conveyor belt, may be provided, with which a delivered package is automatically transported from the delivery shaft. In the area of the transport mechanism, a lock can be provided with which a package can be removed from the delivery shaft. The individual aspects explained above can be used individually or in any combination. The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached, roughly schematic and not to scale drawings. The drawings show in:

1 shows schematically a drone in perspective view,

FIG. 2 shows a drone with an emergency screening device,

3 shows a drone deployment system in the form of a container with several modules, FIG. 4 shows a conveyor wheel of a module of the drone deployment system,

Figure 5 shows the drone deployment system roughly schematically with a module having a plurality of eyes, Figure 6 provided on an inner surface of the container guide rails together with a sliding along it module.

7a, 7b show a container for accommodating a module and such a module in each case schematically in perspective view,

8a-8c show schematically a conveying wheel in a sectional view, a delivery shaft in a sectional view, FIG. 10 shows the delivery shaft from FIG. 101 in plan view but without cover, FIG. 11 shows different embodiments of such a delivery shaft, and FIG

FIG. 12 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a delivery shaft in a sectional view.

Starting point for the present invention are conventional drones 1 (Figure 1), which are unmanned aerial vehicles. The drone 1 has, for example four rotors 2, which are each driven by a motor (not shown). The drone can also have more than four rotors, such as five, six or nine rotors. The drone 1 has a frame 3, on which the rotors 2 and a control unit 4 are arranged. The control unit 4 controls the flight operation of the drone. Furthermore, the control unit 4 can also be designed to control other devices, such as a camera or a camera 5. In the present embodiment, the drone has two flats chentragwerke 6 with vertical stabilizers 7 on. Such surface structures 6 and vertical stabilizers 7 are useful in drones, which should cover longer distances. In such drones, it may also be useful that the rotors 2 are pivotable about a horizontal transverse axis.

On the frame 3 gripping arms 8 are formed with a gripping mechanism to accommodate packages can. The control unit 4 preferably has a satellite navigation system with which the drone can be controlled to predetermined destinations. Furthermore, a radio data connection can be present at the control unit 4 in order to control the drone and to transmit its corresponding target specifications.

The control unit 4, the rotors 2 and the corresponding motors are summarized below as a flight device, which essentially accomplish and control the flight movement of the drone.

According to the invention, the drone 1 can additionally be provided with an emergency screening device 9 which, in the event of an emergency, forms a kind of protective screen at least on the underside of the drone. The emergency shielding device 9 comprises a base unit 10 in which, in a limited space, one or more shielding elements are in normal operation. The base unit is coupled to a control device 11 with which an emergency can be detected. In the present embodiment, the control device has a pressure sensor, with which the air pressure can be measured. If the control device 11 is actively switched and the air pressure increases abruptly, then this is detected by the control device 11 as an emergency, since a sudden pressure increase occurs with a rapid drop of the drone. The shielding elements located in the base unit 10 are activated. In the present exemplary embodiment, the shielding elements are designed as serpentine, inflatable sacks 12, which are inflated by means of a chemically reacting substance mixture which is also located in the base unit 10 and which generates a large volume of gas due to its chemical reaction. This substance mixture is ignited by the control device 11. This composition is similar to the mixtures of explosive devices formed by airbags, but preferably a mixture is used, which performs the chemical reaction a little slower, so that the individual bags are inflated slower compared to airbags without being destroyed.

The serpentine bags 12 are guided by the base unit 10 by means of tubes 13 a distance away from the plane of the rotors 2. The inflated snake-shaped bags to tangle or tangle together to form a structural unit that dampens the impact of a falling drone.

The inflated sacks thus form a damping body. In the context of the present invention, as explained above, other types of damping bodies can also be provided with gas filling, foam filling, foam bodies and in different forms. It is also possible for a plurality of damping bodies or shielding elements to be distributed over the underside of the drone 1. In the context of the invention, it may also be expedient to provide a parachute on the top of the drone 1, which on the one hand brakes the falling drone in an emergency and on the other hand also aligns so that it controls controlled with its underside directed downwards. The control device 11 preferably has a power supply which is independent of the flying device. This power supply is preferably an accumulator in combination with a solar cell. Since drones are usually flown in daylight, monitoring the sensor to detect an emergency can be ensured solely with the energy of the solar cell, so that the activation of the shielding elements 12 is independent of the power supply of the flying device, in particular the drive device of the drone 1. In addition, with the energy provided by the solar cell, the functional state of the accumulator can be checked and, if necessary, an error message output. Preferably, the shielding elements are designed to be redundant, that is to say that at least two shielding elements are provided, for example with at least one bag and one gas filling device for filling the respective bag.

As a sensor for detecting the emergency, a speed sensor for measuring the rotational speed of one or more drive motors and / or one or more rotors may be provided. The speed sensor may be a magnetic sensor, wherein a corresponding magnetic element is fixed to the drive shaft of one of the rotors 2 and each passage of the magnetic element is detected by the sensor. With a frequency counter then the speed can be detected.

The emergency shielding device with the control device 11 and the base unit 10 may be formed as a separate structural unit, which can be retrofitted to a drone 1 subsequently. A further aspect of the invention, a drone deployment system 15 will be explained in more detail below (FIGS. 3-6). The drone deployment system 15 according to the present embodiment comprises a container 16 as a container in which drones 1 and packages 17 can be accommodated. The container 16 has a bottom wall 18, a plurality of side walls 19 and is open at the top. The top of the container 16 is closed by means of a roller shutter 20, which forms a ceiling wall of the container 16 in the closed state.

In the container 16 are at least one packet module 21, a drone module 22 and a power module 23. The individual modules 21, 22, 23 can be lifted up out of the container 16. For this purpose, they each have an eyelet 24 in the area of the upper corners, against which a crane can engage the modules 21, 22, 23.

On the opposite side walls 19 of the container 16 guide rails 25 (Figure 6) are arranged on their inner surfaces, which extend vertically. The modules 21, 22, 23 have corresponding guide grooves, so that the guide rails 25 engage in the guide grooves of the modules and position them exactly in the container 16. The guide rails 25 may be formed triangular, square, circular segment in cross section. Due to the shape of the guide rails certain positions in the container 16 may be coded, so that only certain types of modules can be used at these positions. Adjacent to the places for receiving a module 21, 22, 23 in the container 16, a fixing device 26 is arranged, which has an actuator 27 to press a fixing plate 28 against the respective module 21, 22, 23, so that the module by frictional engagement between the guide rail 25 and the corresponding guide groove is also fixed vertically. Instead of the fixing devices 26, latching devices, locking pins or bayonet locks can also be provided, which can be actuated automatically or manually in order to fix one of the modules 21, 22, 23 in the container 16.

In the embodiment explained above, the modules 21, 22, 23 are placed in the container or transport container 16 and removed upwards again.

In an alternative embodiment, the modules 21, 22, 23 inserted from the side in the container or transport container 16 (Figure 7a, 7b). The container 16 in turn has a bottom wall 18, but only three side walls 19. It is open at the top and the top of the container 16 may be closable by means of a roller shutter, which forms a top wall of the container 16 in the closed state. However, it is also possible that the container 16 has no top wall.

One longitudinal side of the container 16 is open. Arranged on this open side is a pivotable flap 50 which is pivotable into an open position in which the modules 21, 22, 23 can be inserted into the container 16 and can be pivoted into a closed position, in which the modules 21, 22, 23 are fixed in the container 16.

In the present embodiment, the flap 50 is pivotally mounted on the upper edge of the container 16. However, it can also be arranged pivotably at the bottom of the container 16.

The top of the bottom wall is contoured, wherein in the present embodiment, rails 51 are formed which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the container 16.

The modules 21, 22, 23 have a lower side 52, which is contoured complementary to the upper side of the bottom wall 18 of the container 16, so that the modules 21, 22, 23 are exactly aligned in the container 16 and also above all with respect to a movement in Fixed longitudinally of the container.

The modules 21, 22, 23 can thus be inserted with the flap 50 open along the rails 51 in the container or pulled out of this.

The individual modules 21, 22, 23 may each be formed with a rolling roof or roller shutter 53 as a ceiling wall, so that the modules 21, 22, 23 can be opened and closed individually.

The package module 21 and the drone module 22 each have a feed wheel 29 which is formed of two mutually parallel wheels 30 (Figure 4), wherein between the two wheels 30 each a storage space element 31 is pivotally suspended, which has a bottom plate which laterally is pivotally suspended on the wheels 30, wherein the respective articulation point 34 is located a piece above the bottom plate, so that the bottom plates of the storage space elements 31 are always arranged horizontally due to gravity. On each storage bin element 31, a package 17 or one of the drones 1 can be parked. The conveyor wheels 29 are about a central axis 35 by means of a motor rotatably driven. As a result, the conveyor wheels 29 can be rotated in such a way that a specific storage space element 31 is located at the uppermost point of the conveyor wheel 29. The position of the feed wheel 29 is preferably detected by means of an interlocking encoder 32, which is arranged in a stationary manner in the modules 21, 22 on a side wall.

With such a feed wheel 29, a certain package 17 or a particular drone 1 can always be arranged at the upper edge of the feed wheel 29, so that the drone 1 can fly upwardly out of the container 16 when the container 16 is open. A package 17 located in the uppermost position of the conveyor wheel 29 can be picked up by a drone. Thus, the drones can specifically pick up certain packets 17 of the packet module 21 and bring them to a receiver.

In an alternative embodiment, the packet module may also be provided with a tempering device 33 (FIG. 6), such as an air conditioning system, in order to keep the interior of the packet module 21 at a purely predetermined temperature or within a predetermined temperature range.

Furthermore, the container 16 contains a control device (not shown) which controls the operation of the packet modules 21 and the drone modules 22.

Different operating options of the drone deployment system 15 according to the invention will be explained below.

The container 16 is equipped at a transfer station with packet modules 21, in which packages to be delivered are. If necessary, the drone module 22 is exchanged at the transfer station. Such a need exists when the flight performance of the individual drones has reached their maximum performance and the drones need to be serviced, or when other types of drones are needed for the packages received in the container 16. In the container, a plurality of packet modules 21 and / or several drone modules 22 can be added. The conveyors of the package modules 21 and the drone modules 22 receive their propulsion energy from the power module 23. The conveyor of the drone module 22 may also be provided with a charging station for the individual drones, so that they are charged during their parking time in the drone module 22. Preferably, the loading takes place without contact by means of electrical induction.

The controller of the container 16 controls the operation of the package modules 21 and the drone modules 22 such that a particular drone 1 can receive a particular package 17. The drones 1 are preferably connected to the control unit with a radio data connection. ereinrichtung of the container 16 and thus receive their flight commands and the instructions, which package is when to which package module 21 to include and where it is to be unloaded. The container can be transported to a specific location by truck, train or boat and left there for a certain period of time (eg one day). The drones then deliver the packages contained in the container and can, if necessary, also load the existing package modules 21 with new packages. In this case, the drones use satellite navigation and the camera 5 to find the appropriate unloading points for unloading from the parcels or pick-up locations for picking up new parcels.

Once all the parcels have been delivered or the container 16 has been refitted with the desired parcels, it is picked up and returned to the transfer station.

The drone deployment system 15 may also be operated so that the container 16 is not stationarily set down at a particular location, but is on a vehicle that is either moving slowly, such as a ship, or briefly stopped, with a drone Can pick up a parcel and transport it away. On the container 16 or vehicle, a satellite navigation system is provided which determines the location of the container 16 and the vehicle respectively. The drone communicates with the radio data connection with the container 16 or the vehicle directly or indirectly via a control center and thus receives at regular intervals the current location of the container or the vehicle. The drone then flies after delivery of the package or after receiving a new package to the point at which the container 16 is currently located.

A parcel operator thus drives his vehicle on which the container 16 is located through a location and one or more drones continuously fly the parcels to the recipients and retrieve new parcels to reload the container.

Another embodiment of a feed wheel 29 has receiving chambers 36, which serve to receive packages 17 and / or one or more drones 1 (FIGS. 8a-8c). The receiving chambers 36 are bounded by two circular, perpendicular and concentric to the axis 35 arranged side walls 37 and a plurality of chamber walls 38. The chamber walls 38 extend between the side walls 37 and the axis 35 of the feed wheel 29 is arranged parallel to the chamber walls 38. These chamber walls 38/1 may be arranged to extend radially, so that they are each arranged in a plane in which the axis 35 is located (Figure 7a, 7b).

In a preferred embodiment, a hub chamber 39 is formed about the axis 35. The hub chamber is rectangular in cross-section and in particular square and is bounded by four hub walls 40. The outer sides of the hub walls 40 serve as shelves for the drones 1 and / or packages 17. On the outer sides of the hub walls 40, a fixing device for fixing a drone or a package is preferably provided. For fixing a drone, for example, an elastic or movable expanded metal mesh with mutually movable bars can be provided, with which the legs of a drone are fixed by moving the bars by reducing the opening areas of the individual grid openings and thus around one leg each Pull the drone together. The grid may be formed of rigid bars. However, the grid may also be formed of an elastic material that can be distorted accordingly.

The interior of the hub chamber 39 can accommodate functional elements such as e.g. a charging station for charging a battery of a drone, a corresponding accumulator, an interface for communicating with a drone, a control device for controlling the operation of the feed wheel 29 and / or a drive device for rotating the feed wheel 29 or the like. Be provided. Furthermore, the conveyor wheel may be provided with one or more sensors 41 for detecting the presence of a parcel and / or a drone. Such a sensor may be a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor, in particular a camera. With a camera, not only the presence of a drone and / or a package, but also the loading and unloading and / or the flying in and out of a drone can be supervised, since with a camera the movement of bodies can be traced automatically.

At the periphery, the feed wheel 29 has at least one cover 42, which can be opened and closed automatically. This cover 42 may be formed as a hinged flap or as circumferentially displaceable lid. As an opening mechanism may be provided on the housing of the module, a gripping member which can engage with an openable lid, so that upon rotation in a certain direction, the lid 42 is opened or closed. This makes it possible to operate a plurality of covers 42 with a single opening mechanism.

The feed wheel 29 may be formed with a plurality of chamber walls 38/2, which are arranged in pairs perpendicular to each other, so that they have chambers with right-angled corners limit (Figure 7c). Individual chamber walls 38/3 can also be arranged displaceably, so that the size of the individual chambers is individually adjustable.

A delivery shaft 101 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention (FIG. 9) has a rectangular, vertical, tubular shaft with a front wall 102, two side walls 103, 104 and a rear wall 105 in plan view (FIG. In the delivery chute 101, an upper shutter 106 and a lower shutter 107 are disposed. The two closing flaps 106, 107 are each designed to pivot about a shaft 108, 109. The shafts extend horizontally between the opposing side walls 103, 104. The closure flaps 106, 107 each have a planar closure flap plate 110 and a closure flap body 111 formed below the closure flap plate 110.

In the present embodiment, the closure flap body is formed as a frame, which is triangular in the side view. The triangular shape has two long legs and a short base. The flapper panel 110 extends along the flapper body 111 along one of the two long legs. In the corner region between the base and the long leg, on which the closure flap plate 110 is arranged, the closure flap body 111 is penetrated respectively by the shaft 108, 109, so that the shaft and thus the pivot point is arranged very close to an edge of the closure flap plate 110 , A weight 112 is arranged on the closure flap body 111 in the region of the base on the side facing away from the closure flap body 111, so that the closure flaps 106, 107 are pushed upward by the action of the weight 112 with their tip 113 formed by the long legs. On the inner surfaces of the side walls 103, 104 stop webs 114 are fixed, which are arranged so that the respective flap plate 110 rests flush in a predetermined position on the stop web 114. In this position, the flapper plate 110 is inclined at a predetermined angle to the horizontal, so that the flapper plate 110 lowers in the direction of the rear wall 105 to the front wall 102 a piece. In this position, a front, lower edge of the closure flap plate 110 bears against the front wall 102 or against a rain gutter 115 formed on the front wall 102. This front, lower edge of the closure flap plate 110 abuts the gutter 115 from below. In this position of the shutter, the upwardly facing opening of the delivery shaft 101 is closed, which is why the position is referred to in the following closing position or closing state. In the closed position, the closure flap 106, 107 extends from the front wall 102 to a short distance behind the respective shaft 108, 109. The shafts 108, 109 are a piece from the rear wall 105th spaced. This area is covered at the upper edge of the delivery shaft by means of a cover 116.

The gutters 115 define a collection channel 117 that leads along the front wall 102. The collecting channel 117 is coupled in each case to at least one outlet opening 118, which extends through the front wall 102 to the outside, so that located in the collecting channel water can escape from the delivery shaft 101. The gutters 115 have a plurality of collecting openings 119, which connect the collecting channel 117 with the facing side of the delivery shaft 101 of the gutters 115, so that along the closure flap plate 110 running water collected through the collecting openings 119 in the gutter 115 and the outlet opening 118th is directed.

In an alternative embodiment, the closure flap panel 110 is perforated with through holes 10a so that rainwater can pass therethrough (Figure 10). In this embodiment, the collection openings 119 of the gutter 115 can be omitted. It may also be provided instead of the gutter 115 only a stop bar, to which the flap plate 110 rests tightly from below. On the underside of the closure flap body 111, a planar discharge plate is arranged, which guides the water passing through the perforated closure flap plate 110 into a rear discharge chute 137 in which the rainwater at the lower end of the shaft is discharged through an outlet opening 138 to the outside.

The walls 102, 103, 104, 105 of the delivery shaft 101 are preferably made of plastic. In particular, they consist of double-walled, internally hollow plastic plates, which insulate well thermally. The shafts 108, 109 are metal bars, especially aluminum bars. The closure flaps 106, 107 are plastic bodies. The stop webs 114 and the gutter 115 may also be formed of plastic. Between the stop webs 114 and the corresponding edge region of the closure flap plate 110 or between the gutters 115 and the corresponding edge regions of the closure flap plates 110, plastic or rubber seals can be provided, which are fastened either to the closure flap plate 110 or the stop webs 114 and the gutters 115 , The weights 112 are closed plastic bodies which are filled with a high-density material such as sand, stone or metal.

In the present embodiment of the delivery chute 101, a bottom plate 120 is provided, which closes the delivery chute 101 at the bottom. The bottom plate 120 is provided on its upper side with a foam plate 121, which is soft-elastic. is formed so that falling into the hopper 101 packets are damped when landing on the ground.

A package dropped from a drone (not shown) from above into the hopper 101 first falls onto the top flap 106. Due to the momentum and weight of the package, the top flap 106 pivots downwardly about the shaft 108 the package. Here, due to the weight 112, which counteracts the movement of the package, the package is braked. The package thereby falls onto the lower closure flap 107, which in turn evades the package and brakes it further. The package then falls slowly to the foam plate 121, on which it comes to rest with little or no vibration. Since the package first comes into contact with the lower closure flap 107, after its movement has already been somewhat decelerated by the upper closure flap 106, it may be expedient to make the weight 112 of the lower closure flap smaller than the weight 112 of the upper closure flap 106 , whereby the braking effect of the lower flap 107 is lower.

Thus, with this delivery shaft 101, parcels can be delivered by means of a drone without the recipient having to be present. The packages can be dropped by the drone into the opening of the delivery shaft. They are then gently braked by the flaps 106, 107 and the damping plate 121 at the bottom of the delivery shaft, so that they come to rest on the ground vibration-free or only with little vibration. The delivery shaft 101 can in principle also be formed with only a single closure flap. It can also have more than two closing flaps, in particular three or four closing flaps.

Furthermore, a soft elastic damping material, such as a foam sheet, may be disposed on the upwardly facing surface of the closure flap panel 110 to dampen the impact of a package on the surface of the closure flap 106, 107.

The lower edge of the flap plate 110 remote from the shaft 108, 109 may also be provided with a sealing element, in particular a rubber seal lip, which couples to the gutter 115 or directly to the front wall 102 in the region of the outlet port 118 to direct rainwater without rain gutter to lead into the outlet openings 118. At the gutter 115 or on the inner surface of the front wall 102 may have a Catching recess or a locking web to be formed, on which engages the sealing lip of the closure flap. As a result, the closure position of the closure flap is fixed and to open the closure flap, a predetermined minimum force or predetermined minimum torque around the pivot axis of the closure flap is necessary to release the latching engagement.

Such a latching device, which locks the closure flap 106, 107 with the front wall 102, thus fulfills two functions, namely the latching end fixation of the closure flap 106, 107 in its closed position and the sealing of the closure flap 106, 107 with respect to the front wall 2.

Instead of the latching device or in addition to the latching device in the region of the front wall 102, a latching device 139 (FIG. 9) can also be arranged at the rear region of the closure flap 106, 107, which engages with a corresponding counter-latching means on the inner surfaces of one or both side walls 103, 104 is arranged.

A package located at the bottom can be removed from the delivery chute 101 through the take-off flap 122.

FIG. 11 a shows the delivery shaft 101 according to FIG. 9 in a perspective view from the outside.

FIG. 11b shows the delivery shaft 101, wherein instead of the lower collection region with the removal flap and the soft elastic base plate only four stilts 123 are provided and the delivery shaft 101 is open at the bottom. In such an embodiment of the delivery chute 101, any receptacles may be placed under the delivery chute 101 to receive the packages to be received. FIG. 11c shows the delivery chute 101 with a connection module 124, which forms a downwardly laterally leading discharge chute, which can be coupled to a window, for example, so that delivered parcels are guided through the chute 101 and through the connection module 124 and through an open window pass. At the upper edge of the delivery shaft 101, a fixing plate 125 is provided, with which the delivery shaft 101 can be fastened to a building wall.

FIG. 11b shows an embodiment of the delivery shaft 1 in which a connecting module for roof pitches with attic adaptation or transition 126 is provided. hen is. With this connection module 126, the delivery shaft 101 can be integrated into a roof.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the delivery chute 101 is disposed on a hollow float 127. The float can swim on water surfaces and also serves as a receptacle for delivered packages.

FIG. 12 shows a further embodiment of the delivery shaft 1, which has a central control device 128. The central control device 128 is connected to various sensors and transmission devices, which are explained in more detail below. Incidentally, the embodiment shown in Figure 12 corresponds to the embodiment shown in Figure 9, which is why the same parts, which are provided with the same reference numerals, will not be explained again. The foam plate 121 rests on a pressure plate 129, which acts as a balance, with which the pressure acting on the pressure plate 129 can be measured and converted into an electrical signal. Based on this pressure, the central control device 128 can calculate the weight of a lying on the foam plate 121 package. In the lower region of the delivery shaft 101, a detector 130 is provided for detecting and reading out a transponder or RFID chip located on a packet. This read information is forwarded to the central control device 128. This allows the package to be identified. In the area between the upper shutter 106 and the lower shutter 107, an optical sensor 131 is disposed. With this optical sensor 131, the presence of a package in the delivery chute 101 can be detected. If the optical sensor 131 is a laser scanner or a camera, then it is also fundamentally possible for a predetermined optical code (QR code or barcode) to be detected while the packet is falling on the optical sensor 131 in the delivery chute 101. A corresponding optical sensor 132 can also be arranged above and adjacent to the upper closure plate 106 or at the lower end region of the delivery shaft 101. On the cover 116 is a transmitting and receiving device 133, with which messages can be exchanged with a drone. This transmitting and receiving device 133 and the central control device 128 are designed in such a way that on the one hand the supplier shaft 101 can identify itself with respect to the drone and / or on the other hand the drone can identify itself with respect to the supplier shaft 101 or information about the package to be delivered to the drone Delivery shaft 101 transmitted. In this way, a drone and the central control device 128 of the delivery shaft 101 can determine whether a drop of the respective package at this delivery shaft 101 is correct. The upper closing flap 106 can be closed by means of an electrically activatable closing element 134. be closed, which is only opened by the central control device 128 when the drone or the package to be delivered by the drone has been verified or authenticated by exchanging appropriate messages. The closing element 134 is for example a magnetic lock.

Furthermore, on the cover 116, a transmitting device 135 is provided for transmitting direction signals, which can be used by the drone to accurately detect the location of the delivery shaft 101. As a result, a drone can deliver a package to be delivered exactly to the delivery shaft 101, even if the drone-specific location system does not have the necessary precision.

The central controller 128 may be connected to a local area network (LAN), supra-regional network (WLAN), or the Internet 136, so that a user of the delivery chute 101 can be automatically informed of the receipt of a parcel. This information can be transmitted to the user, for example by SMS or e-mail. Corresponding messages may also contain information about the delivered package.

The delivery chute 101 can also automatically confirm the receipt of the parcel to the supplier by means of an electronic message (SMS, e-mail, etc.).

Instead of or in addition to the scale 129 for measuring the weight of a parcel, a cargo meter can also be provided with which the volume or the weight of the parcel received is detected.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 drone 51 rail

2 rotor 52 bottom

3 frame 53 roller door

4 control unit 50

5 Camera 101 Delivery shaft

6 Tensile structure 102 front wall

7 vertical stabilizer 103 side wall

8 gripper arm 104 side wall

9 emergency shielding device 55 105 rear wall

10 base unit 106 top flap

11 control device 107 lower flap

12 sack 108 shaft

13 pipe 109 shaft

60 110 shutter plate

15 Drone deployment system 111 Flap body

16 containers 112 weight

17 package 113 top

18 bottom wall 114 stop web

19 Side wall 65 115 Rain gutter

20 roller shutter 116 cover

21 Packet module 117 Sound channel

22 Drone module 118 Outlet opening

23 Energy module 119 Collection opening

24 eyelet 70 120 base plate

25 Guide rail 121 Foam board

26 Fixing device 122 Removal flap

27 actuator 123 stilt

28 fixing plate 124 connection module

29 Feed wheel 75 125 Fixing plate

30 wheel 126 connection module

31 Bearing element 127 Float

32 interlocking 128 central control device

33 Tempering device 129 Pressure plate

34 articulation point 80 130 detector

35 axis 131 optical sensor

36 receiving chamber 132 optical sensor

37 Sidewall 133 Transmitting and receiving device

38 chamber wall 134 closing element

39 Hub chamber 85 135 Transmitting device

40 Hub wall 136 Internet

41 Sensor 137 Conduction well

42 cover 138 outlet opening

50 flap

Claims

International patent application Manfred Wolff CRP1011PWO claims

1. drone deployment system comprising

by means of a vehicle, e.g. a lorry, train or ship, transportable containers for holding one or more drones,

- And for receiving one or more packages, which are arranged in the container so that they are each picked up by one of the drones and transportable away from the container.

2. drone deployment system according to claim 1,

characterized,

the container is designed to receive one or more modules, the modules being designed to receive one or more packages and / or to receive one or more drones.

3. drone deployment system according to claim 1 or 2,

characterized,

in that a conveying device is provided for conveying a drone to a take-off position and / or a conveying device for conveying a parcel into a receiving position.

4. drone deployment system according to claim 3,

characterized,

the conveying device has a closed conveying path, in particular an approximately circular conveying path, and is preferably a conveying wheel.

5. drone deployment system according to one of claims 1 to 4,

characterized,

that the container is a standard container.

6. drone use system according to one of claims 1 to 5,

characterized,

in that the container has a closure device in the region of a container ceiling wall in order to automatically close or open both an opening for flying out at least one drone and / or an opening for providing a package.

7. drone deployment system according to one of claims 1 to 6,

characterized,

in that a power supply module is arranged in the container, which is preferably exchangeable from the container.

8. drone deployment system according to one of claims 1 to 7,

characterized,

in that one or more replaceable modules are fixed in the container in the horizontal direction by means of vertically extending guide rails, so that they can be removed from the container at the top.

9. drone deployment system according to claim 8,

characterized,

that the guide rails are formed of a good heat conductive material, so that they act as a heat exchanger between the modules and the environment.

10. drone deployment system according to one of claims 1 to 9,

characterized,

in that one or more exchangeable modules can be fixed in the container in a stationary manner by means of a fixing device, wherein the fixing device has an automatically or manually operable fixing mechanism.

11. drone deployment system according to one of claims 1 to 10,

characterized,

in that a module for receiving packets is provided with a tempering device in order to keep the interior of the module at a predetermined temperature.

12. drone deployment system according to one of claims 1 to 11,

characterized, that the modules have at the bottom side recesses that allow forklifts to go with their tines in the pallet and lift them.

13. drone deployment system according to any one of claims 1 to 12,

characterized,

that the underside of the modules and a bottom wall of the container are formed to have a complementary contour.

14. drone deployment system according to one of claims 1 to 13,

characterized,

that the underside of the modules is formed elastically resilient and / or provided with an anti-slip layer.

15. Emergency shielding device for a drone with a control device and a shielding element, wherein the control device is adapted to detect an emergency and to activate the shielding element when it detects an emergency, so that is formed by the activation of the shielding this at least in the area below a drone ,

16 emergency shielding device according to claim 15,

characterized,

the shielding element is a compressible body which is kept in the compressed state until an emergency occurs.

17. Emergency screening device according to claim 15 or 16,

characterized,

the shielding element comprises a plurality of serpentine bodies.

18. emergency shielding device according to one of claims 15 to 17,

characterized,

that the shielding element is formed from one or more bodies covering a lower side of a drone.

19. emergency shielding device according to one of claims 15 to 18,

characterized,

the shielding element comprises one or more foam bodies, the foam bodies being formed as foam bodies and / or as bodies defined by a film in which a foaming material is located.

20. Emergency screening device according to one of claims 15 to 19,

characterized,

in that the shielding element comprises one or more inflatable bags which are inflated when activated by means of a gas filling device, wherein the gas filling device comprises a chemically reacting substance mixture and / or a gas cartridge and / or mechanical louvers.

21. emergency shielding device according to one of claims 15 to 20,

characterized,

in that the control device comprises at least one sensor in order to detect an emergency, the sensor being one of the following group:

- acceleration sensor

- Altimeter

- Pressure sensor

- Radar sensor

- Microphone

- Vibration sensor.

22. Emergency screening device according to one of claims 15 to 21,

characterized,

the control device has an energy supply independent of the flying device.

23. emergency shielding device according to one of claims 15 to 22,

characterized,

in that the emergency shielding device has an acoustic signal generator which emits an acoustic warning signal in the event of a detected emergency.

24. drone with a flying device, the flying device having one or more drive motors for driving one or more rotors,

characterized,

in that the drone has an emergency screening device according to one of claims 15 to 23.

25. Delivery shaft for drone-transmitted packets, comprising a vertical tubular shaft bounded by approximately vertical walls (102, 103, 104, 105) and having an upwardly facing opening for receiving parcels, at least one closure flap (106) being pivotally mounted at the opening such that the closure flap (106) pivots sideways upon seating of a package of a predetermined weight so that the package falls into the well and then automatically closes the closure flap (106).

26. Delivery shaft according to claim 25,

characterized,

in that the closure flap (106) is loaded with a weight (112) and / or a spring such that the closure flap (106) closes the delivery shaft (101) in the unloaded state.

Delivery shaft according to claim 25 or 26,

characterized,

in that the upper side of the closure flap (106) is provided with a soft-elastic layer in order to dampen a collision of a package.

28. Delivery shaft according to one of claims 25 to 27,

characterized,

in that the closure flap (106) has an inclined surface in the state closing off the delivery chute (101), wherein a gutter is formed on a lowermost edge of the inclined surface, or the lower edge of the inclined surface is coupled to a gutter (15) which attached to a wall (102) of the delivery shaft (102).

29. Delivery shaft according to one of claims 25 to 28,

characterized,

in that a heating device is provided for heating the upwardly facing surface of the closure flap (106).

30. Delivery shaft according to one of claims 25 to 29,

characterized,

that a plurality of vertically spaced apart flaps (106, 107) are provided.

31. Delivery shaft according to one of claims 25 to 30,

characterized, in that the closure flap (106) is closed in the state closing off the delivery chute (101) with a closing mechanism, such as a magnetic closure or latching closure, which automatically opens at a predetermined load.

32. Delivery shaft according to one of claims 25 to 31,

characterized,

in that the closure flap is closed in the state closing off the delivery chute (101) with an electrically activatable closing mechanism (134) which can be opened by a control device (128), wherein the control device (128) is connected to a receiver (133) that after receiving a specific message, the locking mechanism is opened.

33. Delivery shaft according to one of claims 25 to 32,

characterized,

in that the delivery shaft (101) has a transmitting device (135) for transmitting a positioning signal and / or an identification signal identifying the delivery shaft so that a drone can simply locate and / or identify the delivery shaft (101).

Delivery shaft according to one of claims 25 to 33,

characterized,

in that the walls (102, 103, 104, 105) of the delivery shaft (101) and / or the closure flap (106) are provided with thermal insulation.

Delivery shaft according to one of claims 25 to 34,

characterized,

in that a detection device (130, 131) for detecting whether a packet is present is provided in the delivery shaft.

Delivery shaft according to one of claims 25 to 35,

characterized,

in that an identification device (130, 131) for identifying a package arranged in the delivery shaft is provided in the delivery shaft.

37. Delivery shaft according to one of claims 25 to 36,

characterized,

in that the delivery shaft (101) has a removal device for removing a delivered package.

38. Delivery shaft according to claim 37,

characterized,

the removal device is a flap (122) for opening the delivery chute (101) and / or a transport mechanism with which a delivered parcel can be automatically transported out of the delivery chute.

39. Delivery shaft according to one of claims 25 to 38,

characterized,

in that the bottom of the delivery chute is lined with a soft elastic material (121), so that impact of a parcel on the ground is damped.

40. Drone use system according to one of claims 1 to 14,

characterized,

the drone deployment system comprises one or more delivery shafts as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 39.