Deposit and collection receptacles – Letter boxes – Signals
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-01
2001-09-25
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3628)
Deposit and collection receptacles
Letter boxes
Signals
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293461
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to mailboxes, and more particularly to mailboxes provided with indicator flags operated by the opening or closing of a door.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Mailboxes are commonly provided with a flag to indicate to a mail carrier that the mailbox contains material such as mail to be picked up by the mail carrier. The flag typically is pivotally attached to a side of the mailbox. The flag is manually rotated into an upward position by the user when outgoing mail is placed in the mailbox. The mail carrier picks up the mail and manually rotates the flag downward into a lowered position.
Some related art mailboxes include a pair of flags. A first flag indicates when mail has been delivered. The first flag automatically rises when the mail carrier has opened the door of the mailbox. The first flag may eliminate the inconvenience of a user having to make numerous trips from a house to the mailbox in order to check to see if the mail has arrived. Some mailboxes may provide a further inconvenience to the user by being located at a considerable distance from the house or across a street from the house. The user may make unnecessary trips to the mailbox to determine if material has been delivered. Weather such as rain, sleet, wind or snow cause additional inconvenience. Elderly persons may be needlessly exposed to the risk of physical injury making additional trips to the mailbox during icy weather conditions. A problem may arise when no mail is delivered. When the carrier opens the door to pick up mail, the first flag automatically rises even though no mail may be delivered. The raised flag with an empty mailbox, causes the user to make an unnecessary trip to the mailbox.
A second flag indicates when there is outgoing mail for the mail carrier to pick up. The user raises this second flag to signal the mail carrier to pick up the outgoing mail.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to overcome the above deficiencies, the present invention provides a mailbox with a first indicator and a second indicator. The first indicator signifies that a mail carrier has opened the door of the mailbox. If material has been picked up and no material has been delivered, the mail carrier may easily lower the first indicator by moving a handle conveniently located near the door of the mail box. The second indicator is raised to signal the mail carrier that there is outgoing material awaiting pickup. The second indicator automatically lowers when the mail carrier opens the door to take the outgoing material.
The present invention generally provides an apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a door pivotally attached to the housing;
a control member attached to the door;
a first indicator apparatus pivotally attached to the housing wherein a first end of the first indicator apparatus is releasably connected to the control member; and
a second indicator apparatus pivotally attached to the housing wherein a first end of the second indicator apparatus is releasably connected to the control member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1210562 (1917-01-01), Taylor
patent: 1925227 (1933-09-01), Black
patent: 1929965 (1933-10-01), Black et al.
patent: 2098242 (1937-11-01), Holmes
patent: 2352975 (1944-07-01), Roe
patent: 2670897 (1954-03-01), Gagnon
patent: 3013715 (1961-12-01), Ferenci
patent: 3392911 (1968-07-01), Clark
patent: 3467303 (1969-09-01), Saatzer
patent: 3648924 (1972-03-01), Burns
patent: 3747839 (1973-07-01), Morton
patent: 3960317 (1976-06-01), Clement
patent: 4290549 (1981-09-01), Getz, Jr.
patent: 4552302 (1985-11-01), Rung
patent: 4756472 (1988-07-01), Hammons
patent: 5082170 (1992-01-01), Goss
Knight Anthony
Miller William L.
Schmeiser Olsen & Watts
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