Deposit and collection receptacles – Closures and chutes – Letter box
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-28
2001-10-09
Dayoan, B. (Department: 3628)
Deposit and collection receptacles
Closures and chutes
Letter box
C232S033000, C232S039000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299061
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mail safe mailbox and more particularly pertains to a new security mailbox for preventing theft of mail from one's mailbox.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of mail safe mailbox is known in the prior art. More specifically, mail safe mailbox heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,905,891; 3,519,198; 5,000,378; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 354,612; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,267,688; and 3,854,656.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new security mailbox. The inventive device includes a container having side walls, a top wall, front and back walls, and a bottom wall and including a compartment inside thereof, and a slot extending in the front wall near the top wall for depositing mail into the container, and an opening in a side wall thereof, and also includes a flag member pivotally mounted to the container, a door member lockingly attached over the opening, and further includes a door member being pivotally mounted inside the container proximate to the slot and having at least one door member which swingingly closes access to the compartment through the slot.
In these respects, the security mailbox according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of preventing theft of mail from one's mailbox.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of mail safe mailbox now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new security mailbox construction wherein the same can be utilized for preventing theft of mail from one's mailbox.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new security mailbox which has many of the advantages of the mail safe mailbox mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new security mailbox which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art mail safe mailbox, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a container having side walls, a top wall, front and back walls, and a bottom wall and including a compartment inside thereof, and a slot extending in the front wall near the top wall for depositing mail into the container, and an opening in a side wall thereof, and also includes a flag member pivotally mounted to the container, a door member lockingly attached over the opening, and further includes a door member being pivotally mounted inside the container proximate to the slot and having at least one door member which swingingly closes access to the compartment through the slot.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new security mailbox which has many of the advantages of the mail safe mailbox mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new security mailbox which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art mail safe mailbox, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new security mailbox which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new security mailbox which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new security mailbox which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such security mailbox economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new security mailbox which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new security mailbox for preventing theft of mail from one's mailbox.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new security mailbox which includes a container having side walls, a top wall, front and back walls, and a bottom wall and including a compartment inside thereof, and a slot extending in the front wall near the top wall for depositing mail into the container, and an opening in a side wall thereof, and also includes a flag member pivotally mounted to the container, a door member lockingly attached over the opening, and further includes a door member being pivotally mounted inside the container proximate to the slot and having at least one door member which swingingly closes access to the compartment through the slot.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new security mailbox that is easy to use and install.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new security mailbox that substantially reduces the user's fear that his/her mail will be stolen especially when the user is away from home for some time.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the inventio
Dayoan B.
Miller William L.
LandOfFree
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