Illumination – With container
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-27
2003-08-05
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
With container
C362S431000, C232S017000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06601968
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates a mailbox structure and more particularly to a free standing mailbox.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Mailboxes generally are of two types, the urban mailbox and the rural mailbox. Urban mailboxes are those types of mailboxes which are physically attached to the dwelling units they service. Rural mailboxes are those types of mailboxes, which are free standing, essentially physically separate from the dwelling units they service. Rural mailboxes usually have the shape of oblong boxes with rounded tops and are mounted on posts very close to the side of the roads in front of the houses that they service. The proximity of rural mailboxes to the edge of the road allows the mail carrier to deposit mail in the rural mailbox without getting out of his mail carrier vehicle since the door to such typical rural mailboxes faces the roadside. The rural freestanding mailboxes serve multiple purposes, in particular they are used to deposit mail in as well as to identify the property location associated with the mailbox. However, the very proximity of the rural mailbox to the edge of the road, out of necessity, makes the rural mailbox highly susceptible to damage from passing vehicles, objects tossed up from the road by passing vehicles, such as stones, road salt, snow and ice, and vandalism by the occupants of a passing vehicle. Illumination systems have been associated with rural mailboxes, which include devices, which illuminate the interior of the oblong box, are attached to the exterior of the oblong box and/or post, and detached illumination such as floodlights.
There is a need for a freestanding mailbox system, which can provide illumination to enhance visibility while being resistant to vandalism and accidental damage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention is a freestanding mailbox illuminated through the structural support post with an internal light source.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1842597 (1932-01-01), Foti
patent: 2452667 (1948-11-01), Lambert
patent: 4646209 (1987-02-01), Jansen
patent: 4648012 (1987-03-01), Pittman, II
patent: 5143285 (1992-09-01), Wise
patent: 5460325 (1995-10-01), Surman
patent: 5522540 (1996-06-01), Surman
patent: 5649378 (1997-07-01), Roesser, Jr. et al.
patent: 5813749 (1998-09-01), Sheldon
patent: 5975713 (1999-11-01), Brothers
patent: 6017131 (2000-01-01), Goins
patent: 6033084 (2000-03-01), Burke
Mathews, Collins, Shepherd and McKay
O'Shea Sandra
Truong Bao
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