Patent Application
20090261189
The present invention relates to shredding systems and devices used to destroy documents and other items and, more particularly, to a shredding system that is designed for personal use at a residence, within reach of a residential mailbox, that allows a user to use the system for destruction of documents and other personal items, such as credit cards, medical information, computer disks, credit card offers, and any other mail items containing personal information.
The President's Identity Theft Task Force, “Combating Identity Theft, A Strategic Plan”, states that “Criminals . . . gather personal information, either through low-tech methods-such as stealing mail or workplace records, or “dumpster diving”. The Strategic Plan lists two different ways, thieves use this personal information: Creation of new accounts and Compromising current accounts. Identity theft occurs in many different forms including: obtaining credit cards, renting apartments or homes and establishing other types of revolving credit. Thieves obtain personal information in several different ways including: Stealing wallets; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; new checks; tax information; personal medical information; and bills.
Individuals often feel that they can counter these thieves by attempting to physically destroy the unwanted mail items, which come in the mail. Unfortunately, “torn” mail items can be pieced back together very similar to a puzzle. Identity thieves often have time on their hands to piece this identity puzzle back together. A significant side affect has developed in households in relation to identity theft is in the form of clutter. With the vast amount of mail received each day at a typical residence, it is difficult for most, to take the time and actually sit down and go through the mail items. In turn, the mail becomes clutter within the home and could possibly be thrown out with the trash. Most individuals have in-home shredders at their disposal. This is convenient to most and works well in some occasions, but there are other concerns, which could come into play. These concerns include: Unwanted access by children or pets, which could lead to physical harm and possibly jamming or destruction of the in-home shredder and dealing with the messy in-home shredder by-product.
Hence, there is a need for a street-side method or system to allow residential users to destroy, in a timely manner, documents and other media that may include personal information and may otherwise end up in the home as clutter would be advantageous to provide a residential, street-side; secure information destruction or shredding system that allows an individual to deter identity theft quickly, personally and effectively by destroying documents and other mail items containing personal information
It would also be advantageous to provide a residential, secure, street-side, personal information, mail shredder, which is designed to be easily and securely attached, in a non-evasive manner, to a post, column, or any other type of unit designed to hold a street-side mailbox or attached to a post, column, or unit within reach of a street-side mailbox
It would further be advantageous to provide an environmentally safe housing that contains an internally positioned shredder apparatus protected by a keyed shredder slot door protecting the feed chute and shredder head
It would further be advantageous to provide a feed chute to allows access to the shredding unit for shredding of credit cards, medical information, computer disks, credit card offers, and any other mail items containing personal information
It would further be advantageous to provide an outlet in order to feed shredded or destroyed personal material into a keyed disposable bag container located below the shredding unit
It would further be advantageous to provide a power switch to operate the shredding unit, which is in the off position when the keyed shredder slot door is closed and is turned on when the keyed shredder slot door is opened
It would further be advantageous to provide a solar panel for charging the 12 Volt Battery, which in turn powers the shredder apparatus motor
It would further be advantageous to provide an optional AC Connection to provide power to the shredder system or to charge the 12 Volt Battery
It would further be advantageous to provide an optional hand cranking lever to be used in case of power outage or as a stand-alone application
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a residential, street-side; secure information destruction or shredding system that allows an individual to immediately deter identity theft quickly, personally and effectively by destroying documents and other mail items containing personal information. This secure, street-side, personal information, mail shredder is designed to be easily and securely attached, in a non-evasive manner, to a post, column, or any other type of unit designed to hold a street-side mailbox or attached to a post, column, or unit within reach of a street-side mailbox. The system includes a solar panel to charge a 12 volt battery, an optional AC adapter to power the unit or to charge the 12 volt battery, a hand cranking lever to operate the system as a stand-alone unit incase of power outage, a housing that contains an internally positioned shredder apparatus protected by a keyed shredder slot door protecting the feed chute and shredder head. The feed chute allows access to the shredding unit for shredding of credit cards, medical information, computer disks, credit card offers, and any other mail items containing personal information. The outlet of the shredding apparatus feeds shredded or destroyed personal material into a locked storage bin located below the shredding unit.
A complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, when considered in conjunction with the subsequent, detailed description, in which:
For purposes of clarity and brevity, like elements and components will bear the same designations and numbering throughout the Figures.
The Feed Chute 130 exposes a feed inlet to the user for feeding or inputting credit cards, medical information, computer disks, credit card offers, and any other mail items containing personal information for shredding and directs the materials into the Shredder Apparatus 140. Once unwanted credit cards, medical information, computer disks, credit card offers, and any other mail items containing personal information is placed in the Feed Chute 130, the items are destroyed by the Shredder Apparatus 140. The destroyed credit cards, medical information, computer disks, credit card offers, and any other mail items containing personal information are then passed through the Interior Chute 150 to an inlet of the Keyed Disposable Bag Container 160. Once the user is finished using the secure, street-side, personal information, mail shredder system 100, the user will then close the Keyed Shredder Slot Door 120, which turns off the shredder by depressing the Power Switch 190, and lock the Keyed Shredder Slot Door 120 with the Keyed Shredder Slot Door 120 key. Once the Keyed Disposable Bag Container 160 is full, the user will use the Keyed Shredder Slot Door 120 key to unlock the Keyed Disposable Bag Container 160 and remove the shredded material.
The secure, street-side, personal information, mail shredder system 100 includes a Keyed Disposable Bag Container 160 for storing the shredded materials, which includes a Keyed Disposable Bag Container Door Lock 175 to provide security and a Keyed Shredder Slot Door 120 which includes a Keyed Shredder Slot Door Lock 121 to provide security and safe access to the Shredder Apparatus 140. The housing includes an interior shelf 155 upon which the Shredder Apparatus 140 and the Shredder Apparatus Motor 170 is positioned between the Feed Chute 130 and the Keyed Disposal Bag Container.
The 12 Volt Battery 180 will provide power to the Shredder Apparatus Motor 170 through the use of the Power Switch 190. The Shredder Apparatus Motor 170 will be used to power the Shredder Apparatus 140.
Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure, and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention.
Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims.
The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,402, issued Aug. 8, 1973, by Goldhammer, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,766, issued Apr. 3, 1973, by Bosland, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 3754498, issued Aug. 28, 1973, by Gil, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,560, issued Jan. 20, 1987, by Goldhammer, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,128, issued Mar. 17, 1987, by Goldhammer, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,902, issued Nov. 20, 1987, by Yeomans, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,967, issued Apr. 18, 1989, by Moriyama, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,243, issued Sep. 18, 1990, by Kanagaki, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,366, issued Jul. 30, 1991, by Hashimoto, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,473, issued Dec. 14, 1993, by Strohmeyer, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,313, issued Jul. 4, 1995, by Schwelling, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,065, issued Apr. 27, 1999, by Schwelling, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,645, issued Jun. 27, 2000, by Henreckson, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,528, issued Sep. 12, 2000, by Schwelling, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,006, issued Jan. 27, 2004, by Lee, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,301, issued Nov. 8, 2005, by Chang, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,964,386, issued Nov. 15, 2005, by Ho, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 7,083,131, issued Aug. 1, 2006, by Ting, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 7,104,481, issued Sep. 12, 2006, by Schenker, included by reference herein. The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 7,213,777, issued May 8, 2007, by Podrovitz, included by reference herein.
