IE80499B1

IE80499B1 - Container for receiving items of mail

Info

Publication number: IE80499B1
Application number: IE970249A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Joost Raymundus Alferink; Dienand Willem C Christe
Original assignee: Khz Kunststoffen Bv
Priority date: 1996-04-04
Filing date: 1997-04-03
Publication date: 1998-08-12
Also published as: GB2311813A; NL1002785C2; GB2311813B; IE970249A1; GB9706880D0

Abstract

A container 1 for receiving items of mail which are delivered through a letterbox in a wall or door comprises a flexible elongate sheet of material 4 having a topside, an underside 6 and two longer sides. The underside 6 of the sheet is attached below the letterbox using fastening means 7 and above the letterbox by a hook and eyelet combination 10. On both longer sides of the sheet there is provided, approximately at the centre region, two triangular fastening flaps 13, 14 which may be fastened together to form raised corner sections, creating a bowl-shaped bottom end 16.

Description

CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING ITEMS OF MAIL 8049 The invention relates to a container for receiving items of mail, which are delivered through an opening or slot of a letterbox in a door or wall of a building. which container consists of a flexible material, it being possible to fasten the container on the inside of the building around the opening of the letterbox.

At many addresses, items of mail are delivered through a letterbox which is situated in a door. Items of mail which are delivered through a letterbox of this kind fall onto the ground just behind the door, where they continue to lie until they are picked up. This has a of disadvantages. When the door is opened, the post which has piled up is pushed out of the way and crumpled or even tom. Anyone entering from the outside can easily step on the mail accidentally, as a result of which it is soiled. Moreover, some pets are inclined to tear up the mail. Another significant disadvantage is that the person seeking to pick up the mail has to bend a long way down.

In order to alleviate these problems, British Patent Application GB 2,271,385 has proposed a container for receiving and scoring items of mail. This container comprises a bag, the opening of which is positioned just behind the slot of the letterbox. This bag for receiving items of mail is only open at the top side, and is closed on all the other sides.

This known system has the drawback that the bag can become full. When the bag is full, ic is possible 0 for someone to snatch i of mail out of the bag from outside through the opening of the letterbox. Also, items of mail may become folded over or creased in a bag of this kind »nd»r the weight of the items of mail lying on top. Furthermore, it is not easy to remove the mail from the container using this known system, since the container comprises a relatively deep bag.

The object of the invention is to provide a container for receiving items of mail, which container is 3α easy to attach and receives and collects the items of sail without It being possible to remove the mail from outside and without the mail becoming damaged or creased.

This object of the invention is achieved by means of a container of the type described in the preamble, in which the container comprises a flexible, elongate sheet having two shorter sides situated opposite one another, specifically a top side and an underside, and two longer sides, it being possible to fasten the underside of the sheet at a location on or just below the underside of the letterbox, and it being possible to fasten the top side of the sheet, using fastening means, at a location which is situated higher than the location at which, the underside of the sheet is or can he fastened.

This measure achieves the effect that the container, because it comprises a bent-round sheet, is open on both sides, which prevents the mail from piling up as far as the opening of the letterbox. Due to the fact that the mail does not have to be stored wiph-ίη a limited space, the mail will not become creased, as happens with a closed bag. Also, by dint of the open Sides, the mail can easily be removed from the eon ta-iner, Due to the fact that the container is flexible, the container is not in the way between the door and, for example, a wall when the door is opened.

Zn a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sheet is provided on both longer sides, approximately in the region of the centre of these longer sides, with two fastening flaps situated next to one another, the fastening flaps being provided with fastening means for fastening to one another two fastening flaps situated next to one another. This prevents the mail from being able to fall out of the container too easily when the container is still virtually empty.

These fastening flaps are approximately triangular, it being possible to connect the fastening flaps to one another, using the fastening means, approximately in the region of the comers. This has the advantage that after the container has been attached and after the fastening flaps have been fastened to one another, the underside has a acre or lees bowl-shaped underside, from which thr» mail can easily be removed- Due to the upwardly running ends of this bowl-shaped underside, the τη^-j 1 falls into the container without slipping out of it, in which case it is not necessary to close off the sides for this purpose- As a result, mail is prevented in a simple manner from falling or slipping out of the container.

Furthermore, the fastening means for fastening the top side of the sheet preferably comprise a hook and an eyelet, which hook, on the one hand, can be fastened in the region of the top side of the slot and, on the other hand, can he made to interact with the eyelet which is fastened on the top side of the sheet.

The sheet is preferably made of a flexible plastic, such as polypropylene. This material has a certain inherent stiffness, as a result of which the sheet will not lie flat against the door hut will remain more or less open of its own volition.

Preferably, the sheet is made of a transparent material, so that it can easily be seen whether there is any mail in the container.

The invention, will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a container according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a side view of a container in accordance with Figure 1 fastened behind a letterbox; Figure 3 shows a front view of a container in accordance with Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 shows a perspective view of another possible embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a container 1 according to the invention. The container 1 is fastened around the opening of a letterbox 2 in a door 3. The container 1 comprises an elongate sheet 4 of a flexible, transparent material, for example a plastic such a polypropylene35 The sheet 4 has two shorter sides, specifically a top side 5 and an underside 6. The underside 6 is fastened in the region of the underside of the opening of the letterbox 2, using fastening means 7. A hook 8 is arranged above the opening or slot of the letterbox 2. An eyelet 9, in the fora of a lip 10 with an elongate opening 11, is arranged on the top side of the sheet 4, which eyelet can he hung around the hook 8. This lip 10 may be made of a harder material, such as for example ASS. The sheet 4 is bent around a bending line 12 which forms the underside of the container 1. On both longer sides of the sheet 4, the sheet 4 comprises two fastening flaps 13, 14, specifically one on either side of the bending line 12. The fastening flaps 13, 14 can be fastened to one another using fastening means 15, as a result of which the container 1 has a more or less howlshaped bottom end 15, out of which it is not easily possible for the mail received to 3lip.

Figure 2 shows a front view of the container 1. The fastening flaps 13, 14, which have been fastened to one another, form raised comers of the bowl-shaped bottom end 16.

Figure 3 shows a side view of the container 1, the container 1 having been fastened to a door 3 . Xt can clearly be seen that the container 1 is open at the sides 17, so that the mail can easily be removed therefrom.

Figure 4 shows another possible embodiment of a container 1 according to the invention. This container 1 has an inherently bowl-shaped, widened bottom end 16. The container 1 does not have any fastening flaps in the region of the underside. The sheet 4 forming the container 1 as a result cannot be unfolded into a flat sheet. The container 1 is suspended on the top side from two hooks 8, which are positioned next to one another at a distance apart and are made to interact with openings 18 in the top corners of the container 1.

Claims

1. Container for receiving items of mail, which are delivered through an opening or slot of a letterbox in a door or wall of a building, which container consists of a flexible material, it being possible to arrange the container on the inside of the building just behind the opening of Che letterbox, characterized in that the container comprises a flexible, elongate sheet having two shorter sides situated opposite one another, specifically a top side and an underside, and two longer sides, it being possible to fasten the underside of the sheet at a location on or just below the underside of che letterbox, and it being possible to fasten the top side of the sheet, using fastening means, at a location which is situated higher than the location at which the underside of the sheet is or can be fastened.

2. Container according to Claim 1, characterized in chat the sheet is provided on both longer sides, approximately in the region of the centre of these longer sides, with two fastening flaps situated next to one another, the fastening flaps being provided with fastening means for fastening to one another two fastening flaps situated next to one another.

3. . Container according to Claim 2, characterized in that the fastening flaps are approximately triangular, it being possible to connect the fastening flaps to one another approximately in the region of the comers *

4. - Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening means for •Fastening the top side of the sheet comprise a hook and an eyelet, which hook, an the one hand, can be fastened in the region of the top side of the slot and, on the other hand, can be made to interact with the eyelet which is fastened on the top side of the sheet. 5 . Container according to one of the preceding claims. characterized in that the sheet is made of a flexible plastic. such as polypropylene - 6. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized i» that the is of a transparent material.

5. 7. Container for receiving items of mail substantially in accordance with either of the embodiments as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.