IE970249A1

IE970249A1 - Container for receiving items of mail

Info

Publication number: IE970249A1
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: 1997-10-08
Also published as: GB2311813A; NL1002785C2; GB2311813B; GB9706880D0; IE80499B1

Abstract

Container for receiving items of mail, which are delivered through an opening 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 the letterbox. The container comprises a flexible, elongate sheet having a top side and an underside, and two longer sides, it being possible to fasten the underside of the sheet at a location just below the underside of the letterbox, and it being possible to fasten the top side of the sheet, using fastening means, at a slightly higher location. The sheet is provided on both longer sides, approximately in the region of the centre, with two fastening flaps situated next to one another, which are approximately triangular, it being possible to connect the fastening flaps to one another approximately in the region of the corners. <Fig.1>

Description

CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING ITEMS OF MAIL 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 hui1dHng 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 number of disadvantages. When the door is opened, the post which has piled up is pushed out of the way and crumpled or even torn. Anyone entering from the outside can easily step on the mail accidentally, a3 a result of which ie 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 storing items of mail. This container coaqjrises 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, ie is possible for someone to snatch items of mail out of the bag from outside through the opening of the letterbox. AI30, items of mail may become folded over or ereased in a bag of this kind under the weight of the items of mail lying 0» top. Furthermore, it is not easy to remove the mail from the container using this known system, since Che container comprises a relatively deep bag.

The object of the invention is to provide a container for receiving- items of mail, which container is eaey to attach, and receives and collects the items of mail 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 be 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 within 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 container. 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 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 more or less bowl-shaped underside, from which the mail can easily be removed- Due to the upwardly running ends of this bowl-shaped underside, the mail falls into the container without slipping out of it, in which ease it is not necessary to close off the sides for this purpose. A3 a result, mail is prevented in a simple marmo-r from falling or slipping out of the container10 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 be 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 but 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; 0 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 opening of a letterbox 2 in a door 3. The comprises an elongate sheet 4 of a flexible, material, for example a plaetic such a polypropylene . the container 1 transparent 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 form of a lip 10 with an elongate opening 11, is arranged on the top side of the sheet 4, which eyelet can be hung around the hook 8. This lip 10 may be made of a harder material, such as for example ABS. 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 oae 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 ha» a more or less bowlshaped bottom end 16, out of which it is not easily possible for the mail received to slip.

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 16Figure 3 shows a side view of the container 1, the container 1 having been fastened to a door 3 . It 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 1630 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 aa 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 ju3t behind the opening of the 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 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 be fastened.

2. - Container according to Claim 1, characterized in that 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, on. the one hand, can be fastened in the region of the top side of the sloe 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 in that the sheet is made of a transparent material.

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.