Patent Application
20200275795
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The disclosure and prior art relates to delivery assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new delivery assembly for preventing return or theft of a package.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a first bracket and a box. The first bracket is configured to couple to one of an upper end and a lower end of a door so that a first plate of the first bracket, to which the box is coupled, is positioned in substantial abutment to an exterior face of the door. An aperture that is positioned in a top of the box is configured to allow insertion of a package. A retention assembly that is coupled to and positioned in the box is configured to deter extraction of the package through the aperture. An opening is positioned in a horizontal face of the box to allow a user to retrieve the package. A panel that is hingedly coupled to the horizontal face is selectively couplable to the box to securely close the opening.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure 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 disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The first bracket 12 also comprises a second plate 18 and a third plate 20. The second plate 18 is coupled to and extends perpendicularly from a first endpoint 22 of the first plate 16. The third plate 20 is coupled to and extends perpendicularly from the second plate 18 distal from the first plate 16 so that the first bracket 12 is C-channel type. The first bracket 12 is configured to selectively insert the one of the upper end and the lower end of the entry door, positioning the first plate 16, the second plate 18, and the third plate 20 in substantial abutment to the exterior face, the one of the upper end and the lower end, and an interior face of the entry door, respectively. Thus positioned, the first bracket 12 would be difficult or impossible to remove from the entry door when the entry door is closed and locked.
A cutout 24 is positioned in the first plate 16 to lower a mass of the first bracket 12. The cutout 24 extends from proximate to the first endpoint 22 to proximate to a second endpoint 26 of the first plate 16.
A pair of end plate holes 28 is positioned in the second plate 18 so that each end plate hole 28 is positioned to accept a plate screw 30 to selectively couple the second plate 18 to the one of the upper end and lower end of the exterior door to further secure the first bracket 12 to the entry door.
A pair of interior plate holes 32 is positioned in the third plate 20. The interior plate holes 32 are threaded so that each interior plate hole 32 is positioned to threadedly insert a plate bolt 34. The plate bolt 34 is configured to be tightened to removably clamp the first bracket 12 to the exterior door, allowing the first bracket 12 to be coupled to entry doors having a variety of thicknesses. The plate bolt 34 is clamping type so that a knob 36 of the plate bolt 34 is configured to be selectively rotated, by action of a hand of a user, to removably clamp the first bracket 12 to the exterior door.
The box 14 is coupled to the first plate 16 of the first bracket 12. The box 14 has a front 38 and a back 40, with the back 40 being dimensionally taller than the front 38 so that a top 42 of the box 14 tapers downwardly from the back 40 to the front 38. The box 14 thus is configured to allow runoff of water from the top 42.
A plurality of first couplers 44 is coupled to the back 40 of the box 14. A plurality of second couplers 46 is coupled to the first plate 16. The second couplers 46 are complementary to the first couplers 44 so that each second coupler 46 is positioned to selectively couple to a respective first coupler 44 to couple the box 14 to the first plate 16 at a selected position between the first endpoint 22 and the second endpoint 26 of the first plate 16.
The plurality first couplers 44 comprises a plurality of first holes 48. The plurality of second couplers 46 comprises a plurality of second holes 50. Each second hole 50 is positioned proximate to a respective opposing edge 52 of the first plate 16 so that the second hole 50 is selectively alignable with a respective first hole 48, positioning the second hole 50 and the respective first hole 48 for insertion a respective bolt 54 so that the respective bolt 54 is positioned to be coupled to a respective nut 56 to couple the box 14 to the first plate 16.
The plurality of first holes 48 comprises four first holes 48. The plurality of second holes 50 comprises two rows 58 of second holes 50 that are positioned singly proximate to each opposing edge 52 of the first plate 16. Each row 58 extends from proximate to the first endpoint 22 to proximate to the second endpoint 26 of the first plate 16.
Each of a plurality of washers 60 is selectively positionable over a respective bolt 54, between a respective nut 56 and the back 40 of the box 14, so that the washer is positioned to facilitate rotation of the respective nut 56 on the respective bolt 54.
An aperture 62 that is positioned in the top 42 of the box 14 is configured to allow insertion of a package into the box 14 by a delivery agent, as may be required when a recipient of the package is not available to accept delivery. The aperture 62 is rectangularly shaped so as to complement the shape of the majority of packages. A lid 64 is hingedly coupled to the top 42 of the box 14 so that the lid 64 is positioned to selectively close the aperture 62.
A retention assembly 66 is coupled to and is positioned in the box 14 proximate to the top 42. The retention assembly 66 is configured to deter extraction of the package through the aperture 62, thus deterring theft of the package.
The retention assembly 66 comprises a plurality of first tines 68 and a plurality of second tines 70. The first tines 68 and the second tines 70 are hingedly coupled to and extend substantially perpendicularly from the front 38 and the back 40 of the box 14, respectively, into the aperture 62 so that a terminus 72 of each first tine 68 and an end 74 of each second tine 70 are positioned substantially equally distant from the front 38 and the back 40. The first tines 68 and the second tines 70 are spring-loaded so that the first tines 68 and the second tines 70 are configured to pivot toward a bottom 76 of the box 14, to insert the package, and to rebound, to deter extraction of the package through the aperture 62.
The first tines 68 and the second tines 70 are arcuate so that the first tines 68 and the second tines 70 extend arcuately toward the bottom 76 of the box 14, thus facilitating insertion of the package into the box 14. The first tines 68 and the second tines 70 are alternately positioned relative to opposing sides 78 of the box 14. The plurality of first tines 68 comprises from three to seven first tines 68. The plurality of second tines 70 comprises from four to eight second tines 70. The plurality of first tines 68 may comprise five first tines 68 and the plurality of second tines 70 may comprise six second tines 70.
An opening 80 is positioned in a horizontal face 82 of the box 14 so that the opening 80 is positioned to allow a user to retrieve the package from the box 14. The opening 80 is rectangularly shaped. The opening 80 may be positioned in a front 38 of the box 14, as shown in
A panel 84 is hingedly coupled to the horizontal face 82. The panel 84 is selectively couplable to the box 14 so that the panel 84 is positioned to selectively and securely close the opening 80. A lock 86 that is coupled to the panel 84 is selectively couplable to the box 14 so that the lock 86 is positioned to lock the panel 84 in a closed configuration, as shown in
A bolt hole 88 is positioned in the box 14 proximate to a lower corner 90 of the box 14. An eyebolt 92 selectively threadedly insertable into the bolt hole 88, as shown in
In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in
The second bracket 96 is C-channel type. A plurality of bracket holes 98 is positioned in the second bracket 96 so that each bracket hole 98 is positioned to insert a respective bracket screw 100 to couple the second bracket 96 to the exterior door. The plurality of bracket holes 98 comprises eight bracket holes 98, which are positioned four apiece in an interior plate 102 and an exterior plate 104 of the second bracket 96, and two bracket holes 98 that are positioned in a connecting plate 106 of the second bracket 96.
In use, each of the first holes 48 that are positioned in the box 14 each are aligned with a respective second hole 50, the bolts 54 are inserted, and the nuts 56 are threaded to the bolts 54 to couple the box 14 to the first plate 16. The first bracket 12 then is positioned over the one of the upper end and the lower end of an entry door so that the box 14 is positioned on exterior face of the entry door. Should delivery of the package take place when the recipient is not available, the delivery agent inserts the package through the aperture 62, the first tines 68, and the second tines 70 into the box 14. Theft of the package is deterred by the presence of the first tines 68 and the second tines 70. The recipient can retrieve the package through the opening 80 after unlocking the lock 86.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
