GB2444762A

GB2444762A - Detachable anti-contamination mail bag

Info

Publication number: GB2444762A
Application number: GB0608105A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Denis Parton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-04-25
Filing date: 2006-04-25
Publication date: 2008-06-18
Also published as: GB0608105D0

Abstract

A mail container is disclosed for avoiding contamination comprising a plastic bag or holder 1, hand gloves 2, releasable fastenings 3 and integral seals 4. The container may be fitted detachably to a door 9 and can cover the door letterbox 7. The container may allow a person to open their mail whilst being protected from harmful substances such as anthrax spores.

Description

. S 1.

CONTAMINATION PREVENTOR

This invention relates to a detachable mail container) . mail, viewer.

Mail containers are well known items and exist in the form of a bag,with the bag being portable.

Most mail bags have one open end,in which the mail can be dropped into the bag.and the opposite end of the bag is normally sealed.

Mail b.ags,however are usually made from heavy duty material, and are used to carry or hold relatively large amounts of mail.

According to the present invention there is provided a detachable bag,comprisjng a bag with hand gloves attached to the sealed end of the bag,at the open end of the mail bag there are detachable sealswith the seals being detachable to one or each other.At the open end of the bag Velcro seals are preserit,wjth the Velcro seals being used to attach the bag relasab],y to the back of a door,with the open end of the bag, fitting over and covering the letterbox apperture and usually covering the letterbox on the inside of the building.

A specific einbodiement of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which.

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the bag and laid on a flat surface.

Figure 2. illustrates the baglaid on a flat surface with the hand gloves positioned inside the bag.

Figure 3shows a pair of hands inserted inside the gloves,and the gloves being used to open the mailand also protect the hands or the user from being contaminated by poisonous substances including Anthrax spores. 2.

Figure 4. Illustrates a section view through the centre of the mail container,and shows the open end of the mail bag or container being sealed by rolling up the open end of the bag and the rolled up portion being clamped by a clothes peg.

Figure 5,shows the mail bag or container in position,and fitted over the door letterbox on the inside of the building, and the incoming mail can be seen,and being held by the bag.

Figure 6,shows the Inside of the door to which are attached four pieces of Velcro,and the Velcro on the mail bag is secured to these when the bag is fastened to the door.

Figure 7,shows a section AA,whjch is taken across the seal,in Fig 2,however the seal is shown when the two mating sections have been seperated,that is 11 has been seperated from 12. 3.

Referring to the drawing the mail container comprises a plastic bag or holder 1 and includes 2 the plastic hand gloves,plus 3,the Velcro patch releasable fastenings,and integral seals 4.

are clothes pegs,and 6 are the door,releasable Velcro fastenings,7 is the door letterbox and 8 are the letters or the mail itse].f,9 is the door,and 10 is the undersjde,and outside surface of the mail container or bag.

11 are the male lugs of the seal,and 12 are the corresponding female lugs of the seal,and the seal is made by the surface 13 of the male lug,touchjng surface 14 of the female lugs.

are the glove fingers,an 16 are the integral seals.

In order to open the majl,the mechanical features of 1 to 14 become functional and their functions are shown or displayed in figures 1 to 7.

The purpose of this mail container or mail bag is to provide the user with a means to open his or her mail and protect the user from becoming inffected with harmfullsubstances that includes bacteria, such as Anthrax and other biological or chemical substances and harmful]. spores. This mail viewer is.ue *. view the contents of the mail before exposure.

To utiljse this plastjcmajl bag or Container,the following described methods can be utiljsed.

The plastic bag or container 1 Fig 1 can be attached to the inside of the door 9,Fig 5,and the aperture or opening,which exists at the opposite end of the ba whee the plastic gloves are positioned is placed over the letterbox 7. and the four Velcro patches 3,Figs 1,2 and 3 are releasably secured to the four Velcro patches 6,Fig 6.

Following this initial procedure the bag will be covering the door letterbox 7,Fig 6.with the bag being in position to ece ve-tt-e mt thr 1rthberrmpx I. The received mail 8,Fjg 5 is Illustrated in Fig 5.

To open the mail1 the mail container or bag 1,Fig 5 is removed from the door 9 Fig 5 by seperating or releasing the Velcro patches 3 which are attached to the container, from the Velcro patches 6,whjch are attached to the door.wjth the bag being seperate from the door,the user can now seal the letter or letters 8,Fig 5 inside the bag or container 1,and the letters 8,can remain in the sealed container i, until they have been opened and checked by the user.

To open the envelopes whilst still in the sealed bag can be easily achieved by the user using the hand gloves 2,Figs 1 2 and 3.The user pushes the finger portions of the gloves 15,Figs 1 and 2inside the bag l,and with the gloves 2, inside the bag 1,the user can now open the mail to look inside for harmfufl substances,and before the letters are exposed to the atmosphere and the user.To seal the bag before opening the user just presses the four male seals l1,Fig 7,into the four female appertures 12,Fig 7,and when the four male lugs l1,are interlocked with the four female cavities 12. the outer surface 13,on bottom memberJ,comes into contact with the inner surface l4,on member 12,and the contact between these two surfaces 13 and 14 seals of f the inside of the mail bag from the outside atmosphere and prevents the user from touching or coming into contact with the inside of the mail bag until the user has checked the bag contents.

The bag 1,which includes the hand gloves,the letter storage space and the seals.with the gloves being 2,Figs 1,2 and 3, the letter storage space being governed by the size of the bag l,Figs 1,2 and 3.and the seals are 4 Figs 1.2 and 3.

can all be made in one piece,or are all integraly made.All the parts belonging to the bag can be moulded together and forined,thus creating one piece of material. Alternatively the two large flat sides of the bag l,can be welded together to form one complete mail container, which can still seal the mail safely from the user and the atmosphere.The Velcro patches 3, however are stuck onto the mail bag by adhesive or other,and are therefore not an integral part of the bag.

The injje of atmosphere by using Velcro strips that cover the full length of the internal perimeter of the bag,so that when the male and female parts of the Velcro interlocjc,the opening or bag apperture is sealed sufficiently to prevent harmfull leakage.

The internal chamber of the mail viewer can also be sealed by rolling up the end of the bag l,as Illustrated in Fig 4.

In Fig four the two flat sides of the bag 1 are pressed : 5.

together when rolled up together,and two clothes pegs can be used to clamp the roled up plastic sheets.

The clothes peg 5 Fig 4.can be used to clamp or seal the roll.

This mail viewer or container can be made from non woven material,and is made from plastic.

The outside surfaces of the gloves in. Fig 1. become the inside surfaces of the gloveswhen after the hand glove portions are pushed into the internal chamber of the viewer.

This feature is important because if the surface of the glove becomes contaminated when inside the viewer.the con mination will remain inside the bag or chamber when the gloves are pulled outwards and back to the position shown in Fig 1.

In Fig 1,17 indicates the outside surface of the hand gloves.

and Fig l,shows the mail viewer after manufacture.with the gloves pointing away from the bag seals 4 Fig l.During mail inspection the surface 17 Fig 2,becomes the inside surface of the gloves,and the. gloves are inside the bag with the glove fingers 15 pointing towards the seals.The inside surf ace of the gloves 18 Fig l,will become the outside surface 17,when the gloves are again inside the bag or inspection chamber.

In Fig 5.the mail viewer can be seen fitted beind the door, but if the user wishes the mail can be just placed into the bag or viewer whilst the viewer is resting on a table or other.

means of supporting the bag,and this means that the mail will just drop onto the floor or into an existing mail bag or holder that is already fitted to the door.In Fig 7 the seal arrangement comprises of elongated channels that clip or press into elongated ribs,the channels are 12 Fig 7.and the ribs are 11,Fig 7.

Hands are indicated by 19.Fig 3,and are shown.inserted into _______jQ..plastic glove.,ffind inside the inpgpaJjiF.i9_3 -the plastic gloves 2 are shown covering the hands 19.

The manufactured shape of-* the. mail viewer is shown in Fig 1.

however the hand gloves can be Inverted or reversed,and pushed inside the inspection bag or chamber,as shown in Fig 2,and the hands 19 Fig 3,are inserted inside the gloves 2.Fig 3.The mail can then be opened by hand.with the hands being prevented from contamination by the gloves. Tii gloves can be made from :.ny jy suitable material and this also applies to the bag.

ebag can be used in laboratories and any other suitable application can be utilised. (a

Claims

1. A CONTAMINATION PREVENTION APPARATUS WHEREIN THE UNIT IS MADE FROM PLASTIC, AND THE EXTERIOR FINGER

LOCATION COMPARTMENTS ARE INVERTABLE AND CAN BECOME

THE INTERIOR FINGER LOCATION COMPARTMENTS OF THE SAME

CONTAMINATION PREVENTION APPARATUS,

2. A CONTAMINATION PREVENTION APPARATUS AS IN CLAIM 1

WHEREIN THE UNIT CAN BE SEALABLE AND MADE FROM ONE

PIECE OF MATERIAL AND CAN BE MADE FROM ANY MATERIAL

OR ELEMENTS,

3. A CONTAMINATION PREVENTION APPARATUS AS CLAIMED IN CLAIMS I AND 2 WHEREIN THE APPARATUS CAN BE FITTED

DETACHABLY TO A DOOR AND CAN COVER THE DOOR

LETFERBOX, THE APPARATUS CAN BE SECURED TO THE DOOR BY VELCRO (R.T.M.) FITTINGS OR HOOK AND LOOP FASTENERS,

4. A CONTAMINATION PREVENTION APPARATUS AS CLAIMED IN CLAIMS 1 TO 3 WHEREIN THE UNIT CAN BE USED TO HOLD MAlL

AND ENABLES THE USER TO OPEN MAIL WITHOUT FEAR OF

CONTAMINATION FROM THE CONTENTS OF THE LETTER OR

PACKAGE, THE CONTENTS OF THE OPENED PACKAGE ARE

SEALED AND DO NOT COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE USER OF

THE APPARATUS,