Patent Application
20240215745
This invention relates to mailboxes. In particular, this invention relates to a mailbox door securing device for a mailbox.
Mailboxes come in different sizes, mounting abilities, as well as having varying standards depending on the country the mailbox is located in. In the US, the US Post Office has established guidelines for mail recipients, including mail slot or mailbox size, location, and identification requirements. While the Post Office permitted alternative designs for attached mailboxes and mail slots that met basic size and construction requirements, the same was not true for curbside mailboxes, which postal regulations required be in the form of the traditional dome-rectangular or ‘tunnel-top’ design first established in 1915. In 1978, seven years after the establishment of the restructured US Postal Service, postal authorities at last approved a “contemporary” mailbox specification for alternative designs.
Currently, US curbside mailboxes are classified as (T) Traditional, (C) Contemporary, or (L) Locking. Traditional or Contemporary non-locking curbside mailboxes are approved in three sizes—No. 1, No. 2, or No. 3, measured by minimum interior dimensions. The largest acceptable curbside mailbox is the No. 3, which measures 22.81 inches long, 11 inches wide, and 15 inches in height (58 cm×28 cm×38 cm) at the peak. Locking mailbox designs that provide security for the recipient's incoming mail have fewer restrictions on shape and size, though designs with a slot for incoming mail must be at least 1.75 inches high by 10 inches wide. Residential locking mailboxes cannot require the postal carrier to have a key, by USPS Specifications. Therefore, no USPS approved residential locking mailbox has secure outgoing mail. Installation requirements vary from standard unlocked mailboxes: with locking mailboxes, the incoming mail slot must be 41″-45″ above the roadside surface, and the front of the mailbox must be 6″-8″ back from the curb. USPS specifications for all mailboxes mandate the same, except the placement of the ‘incoming mail area’ varies with a locking mailbox.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have the door to a curbside mailbox as well as possible other types of mailboxes properly secured with an easy-to-use device. The device attached to the door would keep the door from accidentally being in an open position at unknown times in the case of high winds, inclement weather, accidental jostling, or misalignment of the mailbox door.
The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:
The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within
The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one (1) of the referenced items.
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The mailbox 75 comprises a mailbox enclosure 80 with a mailbox door 85 secured by a hinge 90 and an opening/securing means 95 in the conventional manner. The mailbox 75 may also comprise a post 100, a mail indicator flag 105, and other amenities such as address indicia, name indicia and the like, even though not specifically shown or indicated. A typical installation of the device 10 would provide for the first base 25 connected to the mailbox door 85 while the second base 45 is connected to the mailbox enclosure 80 at a point mainly farthest from the hinge 90 and nearby to the opening/securing means 95 if so provided. Further detail on the attachment method of the device 10 to the components of the mailbox 75 will be provided herein below.
It is noted that the device 10 is intended for securing the mailbox door 85 of the mailbox 75 to the mailbox enclosure 80 for purposes of accidental opening in the case of high winds, inclement weather, accidental jostling, misalignment of the mailbox door 85 to the mailbox enclosure 80 or the like. It is not intended that the device 10 provide security functionality against malicious opening, theft, or vandalism, as it can be easily opened by manipulation without the use of external functionality such as keys, combinations, tools or the like.
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The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. It is envisioned that the device 10 would be constructed in general accordance with
After procurement and prior to utilization, the device 10 would be installed at appropriate locations on the mailbox door 85 for the first base 25 and on the mailbox enclosure 80 for the second base 45 would be chosen such that the flexible arm 35 may travel along the arcing travel path “a” 55 and allow the pin 40 to engage the open end 60 of the restraining slot 50. An appropriate method of applying the fastening means 110 would be selected depending on the type of fastening means 110 used. At this point in time, the device 10 is ready for use.
During utilization of the device 10, to secure the mailbox door 85 in a closed and secure position, the user would manipulate the flexible arm 35 along the arcing travel path “a” 55 so that the pin 40 would engage the open end 60 of the restraining slot 50. The pin 40 is then moved along the closing travel path “c” 115 until further movement is not possible. At this point in time, the mailbox door 85 is securely closed and cannot be opened inadvertently by wind, snow, ice, jostling, vibrations, or the like. Upon which time access to the interior of the mailbox 75 is required, the user would once again manipulate the pin 40 along the opening travel path “o” 120 and remove it, along with the flexible arm 35 from the open end 60 of the restraining slot 50. With the flexible arm 35 now free, the mailbox door 85 may be opened in a conventional manner.
The features of the device 10 are envisioned to provide: a secure “hook-like” lock, the ability to fit any size, style, or type of mailbox 75, the ability to be secured by a wide variety of fastening means 110, the ability to provide extended life to existing mailbox 75 that are experiencing minor damage to the mailbox door 85, the hinge 90, and/or the opening/securing means 95, the ability to prevent mail from becoming blown around and causing litter, and the ability to keep mail safe.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
