Deposit and collection receptacles – Letter boxes
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-05
2001-11-20
Dayoan, B. (Department: 3628)
Deposit and collection receptacles
Letter boxes
C070S081000, C070S417000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318628
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to articles of manufacture and more specifically to a single-door, lockable rural mailbox.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The following paragraph describes the general problem that this invention addresses.
Rural mailboxes are commonly characterized by a single door in the front which is readily accessible to the homeowner and the mail carrier. This easy accessibility feature, while being a distinct advantage to mail carriers, does pose certain disadvantages for the homeowner. Unauthorized persons have the same accessibility as authorized persons. Thus, articles such as packages, checks, credit cards and mail, placed in the mailbox by the mail carrier are vulnerable to theft or vandalism. Since it is not functional for mail delivery purposes to employ a rural mailbox which requires unlocking by the mail carrier, persons on a rural or residential route with conventional mailboxes have suffered the inconvenience associated with an insecure mailbox.
Security mailboxes that maintain security automatically without immediate intervening action by the homeowner provide secure storage of incoming mail by either of two methods: The first method is by either having the received mail move to a position that can not be reached through the deposit opening because of distance, or access port size, or having a barrier between the receiving and storage compartments to prevent access to the storage compartment when the receiving door is open. Access to the mail is accomplished through a second door which is locked and unlocked by the homeowner. Outgoing mail is either placed on a shelf within the accessible enclosure or in a separate enclosure. This double-door method is exploited in several patents. The added door, divider or larger size of these inventions add cost and complexity above that for the present mailbox. The second method for providing security for delivered mail uses a single door with various devices and/or procedures to provide security.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,718 discloses a rural type mailbox having, attached to the enclosure a pivoted catch that is urged to null position by a spring. The catch is engaged by a keyed rotatable latch on the door. Variability of friction at the pivot reduces functional reliability and the device can be defeated by a thief using a probe inserted through a mail slot to deflect and disengage the catch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,220 discloses a locking device for a rural type mailbox. Turning a key rotates a cam which compresses a spring that urges a catch. The catch is prevented from engaging the latch by a spring urged pin in the latch. When the door is opened, the catch is released and moves to the locked position. When the door is closed the spring urged pin in the latch is pushed back allowing the latch to engage the catch locking the door. The device requires several parts which increase cost. Also, for proper operation, sliding friction must remain low at several locations in the device. Expected variation of friction makes the device susceptible to jamming. This device can also be defeated by a thief using a probe inserted through a mail slot to deflect and disengage the catch.
U.S. Pat. No. 514,284 uses two hinged doors and a dividing wall which add to the cost. Mail must be inserted through a slot. The slot must be small enough that a thief cannot get his hand through it. This limits the size of the slot and therefore the dimensions of mail that can be inserted.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,619 describes a two-door mailbox containing a pivotable shelf. The shelf supports outgoing mail where it can be picked up by the mail carrier and limits access so a thief can not reach delivered mail through the mail insertion door. Delivered mail is retrieved by the homeowner through a second lockable door. The second door and shelf increase the complexity and manufacturing cost for this approach.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To avoid the limitations and problems with present devices and methods, and to reduce cost to a minimum, this invention relates to an improved locking mailbox.
This invention and method meet U.S. Post Office regulations for a residential mailbox, provide a minimum cost mailbox that has security for delivered mail, provides the same access for the mail carrier to pick up and deliver mail as a conventional not-locked mailbox, allows full open access to the mailbox for delivery of any size package that will fit in the mailbox and provides environmental protection for outgoing mail.
One or more embodiments of the invention described here are readily adaptable to incorporate into lockable mailboxes currently being marketed.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Objects of the present invention and method are to provide a secure mailbox that
a) is as convenient for the mail carrier as a conventional not-locked rural mailbox for both pickup and delivery,
b) meets Post Office Regulations for a residential mailbox,
c) provides protection of delivered mail against theft or vandalism,
d) provides environmental protection for outgoing mail,
e) allows full access to the mailbox for delivery of any size package that will fit in the mailbox,
f) can be manufactured at minimum cost.
These objects of the invention are provided by a novel device. The invention is a lock on the door of the mailbox with a latch that engages a catch in the mailbox housing. The catch is attached at one end to the housing and has a camming surface at the free end that the latch pushes against to deflect the end of the catch and accomplish engagement locking. The door can be in any of three positions; open, closed but not locked, referred to as the set position, and closed and locked. The center of gravity of the door assembly is located with respect to the door pivot axis such that gravity holds the door in the set position. The geometry of the latch and catch are such that the closing force produced by gravity can not overcome the resistance produced by the latch and catch so the door does not spontaneously move to the locked position. After the mail has been deposited, the mail carrier pushes the door closed which causes it to reach the locked position.
An alternate embodiment uses a spring detent to augment or replace gravity in holding the door in the set position. A second alternate embodiment uses a spring counterbalance to hold the door in the set position.
The door can not then be opened except by unlocking. Once the incoming mail has been removed from the mailbox the homeowner positions the lock to the locked position and the door to the set position ready for the next mail delivery. Outgoing mail is simply left in the mailbox for the mail carrier to pick up before depositing the incoming mail.
As a fail-safe feature, the conventional mail slot in the door is retained in case the homeowner fails to remove the mail and reset the door or if the door is inadvertently pushed to the closed and locked position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3802619 (1974-04-01), Vanderveer
patent: 4333603 (1982-06-01), Carlson
patent: 4703635 (1987-11-01), Wyatt
patent: 4726512 (1988-02-01), White
patent: 4815656 (1989-03-01), Smith
patent: 5143284 (1992-09-01), Socarras
patent: 5407126 (1995-04-01), Coultas
patent: 5476220 (1995-12-01), Cohoon
patent: 5586718 (1996-12-01), Speece
patent: 5597116 (1997-01-01), Morris
patent: 5645215 (1997-07-01), Marendt
patent: 5692674 (1997-12-01), Wicker
patent: 5850967 (1998-12-01), White
patent: 5915618 (1999-06-01), Gaudet
patent: 5921117 (1999-07-01), Illguth
Dayoan B.
Miller William L.
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