WO2004032692A1

WO2004032692A1 - Mailbox

Info

Publication number: WO2004032692A1
Application number: PCT/NZ2003/000226
Authority: WO
Inventors: Donald Ian Campbell; Bernadette Mary Campbell
Original assignee: Donald Ian Campbell; Bernadette Mary Campbell
Priority date: 2002-10-09
Filing date: 2003-10-09
Publication date: 2004-04-22
Also published as: NZ521874A; AU2003278629A1

Abstract

A mailbox has a housing 1 with an interior cavity 2 for accommodating mail delivered to the mailbox. The housing has a mail delivery opening 8 through which mail can be delivered into the cavity, and a mail retrieval opening 3 through which delivered mail can be retrieved from the cavity. The mailbox has a lid 4 which is closable over the mail delivery and mail retrieval openings. An optional closure 7 can close over a portion of the mail retrieval opening 3, to leave open the remaining portion of the mail retrieval opening which then provides the mail delivery opening 8. The optional closure 7 may have a lock 12.

Description

MAILBOX

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to mailboxes and particularly to mailboxes typically used for receiving and temporarily storing mail delivered to an addressee's home or premises for subsequent retrieval by, or on behalf of, the addressee.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Although many types and styles of mailboxes are known, mailboxes traditionally have a mail delivery opening, eg a slot, through which mail can be delivered into the mailbox interior by a postman or other mail delivery agent, and a mail retrieval opening through which mail contained in the interior of the mailbox may be retrieved by the recipient of the mail. The mail delivery opening is generally made small enough to prevent, or at least deter, retrieval of mail from the mailbox back out through the delivery slot. The mail retrieval opening is often lockable to secure mail contained in the mailbox, by preventing or at least discouraging unauthorised access to the mailbox interior.

Mailboxes are commonly provided with a slot for delivery of small envelopes and other relatively flat items. However, many mailboxes have a delivery slot that is inadequately dimensioned for a range of mail sizes and cannot readily accept thicker items, eg video cassettes or books, or even thin flat items if they are wider than the slot. Unless alternatives are provided, oversized items are sometimes bent or folded or crushed to fit through the slot or simply left unsecured outside the mailbox.

The opening provided for retrieval of delivered mail can be used for delivery of items too large to fit through the delivery slot. However, this is not always convenient because the retrieval opening is often located in a position not readily accessible to the mail delivery agent, for example at the rear of the mail box. Furthermore, many mailboxes do not have an interior that is dimensioned to readily accept large format items, eg magazines or documents of A4 size or larger. Such items may be bent or folded or crushed to fit inside the mailbox or incompletely delivered into the mailbox, eg left protruding from the mail delivery slot.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome some of the disadvantages of the prior art mailboxes or at least provide the public with a useful choice.

The present invention may be broadly said to be a mailbox having a housing with an interior cavity for accommodating mail delivered to the mail box, the housing having a mail delivery opening through which mail can be delivered into the cavity, and a mail retrieval opening through which delivered mail can be retrieved from the cavity, the mailbox also having a lid which is closable over the mail delivery and mail retrieval openings.

Preferably the mailbox includes a closure which is closable over a portion of the mail retrieval opening, the remainder of the mail retrieval opening not closed by the closure providing the mail delivery opening.

Preferably the lid is pivotally mounted to the housing.

Preferably the closure is pivotally mounted to the housing.

Preferably the axis about which the lid pivots is a horizontal axis.

Preferably the axis about which the closure pivots is a horizontal axis.

Preferably the axes about which the lid and the closure pivot are parallel.

Preferably the lid and the closure pivot about distinct axes. Alternatively the lid and the closure pivot about a common axis.

Preferably the mail delivery and mail retrieval openings are at an upper end of the housing.

Preferably the mail delivery opening is an aperture in the closure.

Alternatively the mail delivery opening is a gap between the periphery of the closure and the periphery of the mail delivery opening.

Preferably the gap is between a peripheral edge of the closure and the axis about which the closure pivots.

Preferably the pivotal axes of the lid and closure are located between the rear peripheral edge of the mail retrieval opening and the rearmost surface of the main body, and the lid and closure are arranged so that the lid can be opened to provide access to the mail delivery opening and the closure can be opened to provide access to the mail retrieval opening without either the lid or the closure intercepting the plane of the rearmost surface of the main body.

Preferably the closure has a locking means by which the closure is lockable when closed over the portion of the mail retrieval opening.

Preferably the locking means is located adjacent a peripheral edge of the closure opposite to the pivotal mounting of the closure.

The invention may further be said to consist in any alternative combination of parts or features here mentioned or shown in the accompanying drawings. Known equivalents of these parts or features which are not expressly set out are nevertheless deemed to be included. BRIEF LIST OF FIGURES

Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a first perspective view of a preferred mailbox according to the current invention, with an outer lid open and an inner lid closed,

Figure 2 shows a second perspective view of the preferred mailbox with the outer and inner lids open,

Figure 3 shows a third perspective view of the preferred mailbox with the outer and inner lids closed,

Figure 4 shows a top view of the preferred mailbox, and

Figure 5 shows a side view of the preferred mailbox.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS.

Referring to the drawings it will be appreciated that the invention, and embodiments incorporating the invention, may be implemented in various forms. Many details will be understood by a skilled reader and have been omitted.

The following description is directed to a preferred embodiment of a mailbox according to the present invention but applies correspondingly to other forms of receptacles designed to provide some security for items delivered into the receptacle for subsequent retrieval by the owner or user of the receptacle.

The Figures show various views of a mailbox having a main body 1 being a housing with an interior cavity 2 for holding items of mail (not shown) when deposited therein. The main body has an opening 3, best seen in Figure 2, at the upper end of the body. An outer lid 4 closes over the opening 3 to provide the interior and contents of the housing with some protection from the elements when the mailbox is used in the usual, outdoor, situation. To improve weather resistance, the lid is provided with a peripheral lip 5. When the lid is closed the lip may extend downwardly around and below the upper edges of the sides and front of the main body of the mail box. The outer lid 4 pivots about horizontal axis 6 located near the rear of the mailbox (as seen in Figures 4 and 5), from a closed position (as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5) to open upwardly to an open position (as shown in Figures 1 and 2).

The opening 3 in the main body allows for retrieval of mail deposited in the housing. The mail retrieval opening 3 may be partly closed by an inner closure or lid 7, as shown in Figure 1.

When closed, the inner lid 7 restricts access to the interior cavity of the mailbox by closing over most of the mail retrieval opening 3 to leave only a smaller mail delivery opening 8. The inner lid 7 pivots about horizontal axle 9, seen in Figures 1 and 2, from a closed position, shown in Figure 1, to open upwardly to an open position, as shown in Figure 2.

In one arrangement the mailbox is mounted with its rear side against a vertical wall surface which extends above the mailbox. In this situation, the outer lid 4 may be opened, ie rotated upwardly by about 45°, without penetrating the plane of the wall surface and the inner lid 7 may be lifted to an open position under the outer lid to provide access through the mail retrieval opening 3 to the interior cavity 2 of the mailbox. When released, the inner and outer lids drop from their open positions under the influence of gravity, the inner lid closing over the mail retrieval opening, and the outer lid closing over the inner lid and the mail delivery opening.

The mail delivery opening 8 in the inner lid 7 is provided by a cut-out 10 which opens to the periphery of the inner lid adjacent the pivot axis of the inner lid provided by axle 9. The cut-out 10 extends into a slot 11 through which relatively wide but flat mail items, eg envelopes, documents, magazines, video cassettes, etc, may be delivered into the interior of the mailbox when the inner lid is closed. Bulkier items, eg packets or mailing tubes, may be delivered through the cut-out 10. A key-operated lock 12 provided adjacent the front peripheral edge of the inner lid, as best seen in Figure 1, locks the inner lid 7 in the closed position. An inwardly protruding portion 13 may be provided at the front edge of the opening 3 for engagement by the lock 12 of the inner lid 7.

Mail items may be delivered into the mailbox when the inner lid is locked, by lifting the outer lid 4, which is not locked, and inserting the mail through the cut-out 10 or slot 11 in the inner lid 7 and into the interior of the mailbox cavity 2. After delivery of mail, the outer lid 4 may be closed manually or by gravity, or by a spring, not shown.

The delivered mail items can then be retrieved from the mailbox. If the inner lid is closed and locked, the mailbox owner or other key-holder can retrieve the delivered mail items by opening the outer lid 4, unlocking the locked inner lid 7, and collecting the mail from the mailbox cavity.

If the mail deliverer is provided with a suitable key, for example a master key for unlocking a plurality of mailboxes, the locked inner lid 7 can be unlocked and opened, mail deposited directly into the mailbox cavity, and the inner lid closed and re-locked by the mail deliverer. This allows mail items larger than could be delivered through the cut-out or slot in the inner lid to be delivered to, and left secured in, the mail box.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the Figures, the pivotal axes of the inner and outer lids are parallel but offset from one another. In another embodiment, not shown, the inner and outer lids share a common pivotal axis.

In another embodiment, not shown, the mail delivery opening in the inner lid does not extend to the periphery, ie the mail delivery opening in the inner lid is an aperture in the inner lid, the aperture being completely surrounded by the inner lid.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the Figures, the mail delivery opening provided in the inner lid 7 opens to the rear edge of the outer periphery of the inner lid, ie the mail delivery opening is a gap between the periphery of the inner lid and the rear peripheral edge of the mail retrieval opening. In other embodiments, not shown, the gap between inner lid and the mail retrieval opening is at the front or a side of the mail box. However, it is considered that placement of the mail delivery opening toward the rear of the mailbox contributes to the security of mail held in the mailbox by inhibiting easy access by way of the mail delivery opening to mail resting on the floor of the mailbox cavity.

Furthermore, the limitation on the degree of opening of the outer lid to about 45° when the mailbox is mounted against a substantially vertical wall surface, as discussed above, and the placement of the mail delivery slot toward the rear of the mailbox combine to inhibit easy inspection of the interior of the mailbox through the mail delivery opening. This can contribute to the security of premises associated with the mailbox because a build-up of mail in a mailbox is sometimes used by burglars and the like as an indication that premises are, at least temporarily, unoccupied.

Mail deposited through the mail delivery opening in the upper face of the mailbox tends to fall by gravity away from the delivery opening to rest on the bottom of the mailbox cavity, further increasing security by inhibiting easy inspection through the mail delivery opening of delivered mail.

In the preferred embodiment of the mailbox, the floor and rear wall of the housing are provided with strengthening ribs. Rear wall strengthening ribs 13 are shown in Figures 4 and 5. The mailbox may be mounted to a support, for example a post, fence or wall, by screws, bolts or other fasteners fitted through the rear wall of the mailbox, and preferably into the ribs on the rear wall. In this way any part of the fasteners protruding into the interior cavity of the mailbox can be arranged to only protrude into vertical channels formed by the ribs on the inside surface of the rear wall. By locating the fasteners in these channels there is a reduced likelihood that they will cause injury or interference, for example during retrieval of mail from the mailbox cavity.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A mailbox including a housing with an interior cavity for accommodating mail delivered to the mailbox, the housing having a mail delivery opening through which mail can be delivered into the cavity, and a mail retrieval opening through wliich delivered mail can be retrieved from the cavity, the mailbox also having a lid which is closable over the mail delivery and mail retrieval openings.

2. A mailbox as claimed in claim 1 including a closure which is closable over a portion of the mail retrieval opening, the remainder of the mail retrieval opening not closed by the closure providing the mail delivery opening.

3. A mailbox as claimed in claim 2 in which the closure is pivotally mounted about an axis to the housing.

4. A mailbox as claimed in claim 3 wherein the closure is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis.

5. A mailbox as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the lid is pivotally mounted about an axis to the housing.

6. A mailbox as claimed in claim 5 wherein the lid is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis.

7. A mailbox as claimed in claim 5 when dependent on claim 3 in which the axes about which the lid and the closure pivot are parallel.

8. A mailbox as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 7 in which the lid and the closure pivot about distinct axes.

9. A mailbox as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6 in which the lid and the closure pivot about a common axis.

10. A mailbox as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 in which the mail delivery and mail retrieval openings are at an end of the housing which in use will be an upper end of the housing.

11. A mailbox as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 in which the mail delivery opening is an aperture in the closure.

12. A mailbox as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 in which the mail delivery opening is a gap between the periphery of the closure and the periphery of the mail delivery opening.

13. A mailbox as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 and 12 in which the gap is between a peripheral edge of the closure and the axis about which the closure pivots.

14. A mailbox as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 13 in which the pivotal axes of the lid and closure are located between a rear peripheral edge of the mail retrieval opening and a rearmost surface of the main body, and the lid and closure are arranged so that the lid can be opened to provide access to the mail delivery opening and the closure can be opened to provide access to the mail retrieval opening without either the lid or the closure intercepting the plane of the rearmost surface of the main body.

15. A mailbox as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 14 in which the closure has a locking means by which the closure is lockable when closed over the portion of the mail retrieval opening.

16. A mailbox as claimed in claim 15 in which the locking means is located adjacent a peripheral edge of the closure opposite to the pivotal mounting of the closure.

17. A mailbox substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.