Patent Application
20090196028
The present invention relates generally to the field of address indicators and mailboxes, and in particular, to a new and useful address indicator combination that is solar powered and is for use with and without a mailbox, for displaying the address of a house or building or the like.
Illuminated signs for indicating the address number for a house or building, where the illumination energy is solar powered, are well known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,525 to Williams, discloses a solar powered yard marker having individual character panels. Also see U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,087 to Karkar et al.
An Illuminated sign in conjunction with a mailbox is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,285 to Wise. A combination mailbox and address indicator which is solar powered, is also know from U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,325 to Surman. Also see U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,540 to Surman for a mailbox with address indicator and separately mounted solar panel. Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,325 to Cathel and another illuminated display with separately mountable characters that are back lit, is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,373 to Sexton.
An address indicator with mailbox, solar powering and a rail system for a slidably receiving multiple character panels is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,876 to Shirah. Also see U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,193 to Katulka and U.S. Pat. No. 6,964,366 to Peng, et al.
Finally for the inventors' previous patent application which is not prior art to the present application, but which shows additional thinking on the part of the inventors, see U.S. Published Patent Application 2008/0005943 published Jan. 10, 2008 to Chao, et al.
A need remains for a practical, economical, easy to use and long lasting, solar powered address indicator.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an address indicator combination comprising: a plurality of rectangular character panels each displaying a translucent character that is surrounded by an opaque remainder of each panel; a frame defining a channel with upper and lower rails spaced by an amount for capturing the height of each character panels that are each slidably engaged between the rails, the channel having a length equal to at least an integral number of panel widths, the frame including an upper chamber above the channel and a rear chamber behind the channel defining a space; and stop means for stopping the character panels that are between the rails, from sliding out of the channel.
A further object of the invention is to provide an address indicator combination which includes a plurality of electrically powered light sources spaced from each other in the upper chamber for casting light into the space; a translucent screen in the space for defusing the light from the space into the channel for illuminating the translucent character of each panel captured by the rails, the translucent screen including an upper edge with a lens adjacent each light for helping to defuse the light.
Another object of the invention is to provide an address indicator combination that includes a plurality of solar cells for receiving light and for converting the light into electrical energy; a battery compartment for receiving a plurality of replaceable and rechargeable batteries; and a power distribution circuit connected to the solar cells for receiving electrical power from the solar cells and being connected to the battery compartment for supplying the electrical power to charge batteries in the compartment when electrical power is being converted from light by the solar cells, the circuit being connected to the light source for supplying power from charged batteries in the compartment to the light source to light the light source when no electrical power is being converted from light by the solar cells.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an address indicator combination including a mailbox defining an enclosure for receiving mail, the mailbox having a side wall for receiving the frame for displaying the characters, a top wall for receiving the solar cells and for exposing the solar cells upwardly for receiving sun light, and an on-off switch connected to the circuit and mounted to the mailbox for manually interrupting power supply to the light source so that any charge of batteries in the compartment is maintained.
A further object of the invention is to provide an address indicator combination that includes a door that is manually openable for exchanging rechargeable batteries in the compartment.
A further object of the invention is to provide an address indicator combination wherein the plurality of solar cells, the battery compartment and the power distribution circuit are mounted in a housing that is separate from the frame, the frame and the housing each having a positive and negative electrical and mechanical connector that are each mechanically and electrically connectable to each other in only one way so that polarity of the connection between the frame and housing is always the same, the electrical and mechanical connectors of the housing being connected to the circuit and the electrical and mechanical connectors of the frame being connected to the light source.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an address indicator, with or without mailbox, which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.
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 specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.
In the drawings:
Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to the same or functionally similar elements,
The character on each panel is thus made to be translucent, which is meant here to include, but not be limited to, transparent. Since the volume of each panel is made of clear plastic material, this is achieved by screen printing, painting or otherwise applying a layer 18 of black or other opaque material onto the rear surface of each panel, everywhere except the rear area of the character in that panel. Each panel is also cast or otherwise formed so that the shape of the character projects forwardly of the front surface of the remainder of the panel at 16, and the rear surface of each panel is indented or recessed at 20 in
Each panel 12 and 14, also has a height and a width, and the combination includes a frame 22 defining a channel 24 with upper and lower rails 26, 28, spaced by slightly more than the panel height, thus by an amount for capturing the height of each of a plurality of the character panels 12 and 14, that are each slidably engaged between the rails. The channel 24 has a length equal to at least an integral number of panel widths, so that an integral number of panels, e.g. three panels in the example illustrated in
The frame also includes an upper chamber 32 above the channel 24 as shown in
As shown in
A plurality of electrically powered light sources, such as LEDs 42, are spaced along and are disposed in the upper chamber 32 for casting light into the space of the rear chamber 34. In the embodiment of
As shown in
To further diffuse the light and prevent hot spots of greater illumination immediately adjacent the LEDs 42, a white clouded sheet of translucent film 50 is applied to the front or rear surface of the screen 44 and to better weather proof the invention, a clear plastic weather panel 52 is sealing in the frame 22, between the channel 24 and the rear chamber 34. Weather panel 52 can also be made of colorless plastic, such as acrylic, polystyrene, or other suitable plastic known to those skilled in the art. Also to better reflect all of the light to the front, the closure panel 40 is preferable made of white plastic material such as white acrylic, polystyrene, or other suitable plastic known to those skilled in the art.
In order to mount the frame to a surface, such as the surface of a house, address post or office building, frame 22 has one or more upper and lower ears 56 with holes for receiving fasteners such as screws 58.
The invention also includes a plurality of solar cells 60 for receiving light and for converting the light into electrical energy, and a battery compartment with a battery cradle 71 in a housing or compartment 62 for receiving a plurality of rechargeable and exchangeable batteries 64, e.g. AA, Nickel Cadmium, NiMH or Nickel Metal Halide or Lithium Ion or other rechargeable batteries now existing or to be discovered. Since the address indicator of the invention is meant for long service and most rechargeable batteries can only last for about 500 to 1000 charge cycles, the use of replaceable, rechargeable batteries greatly extends the useful life of the invention.
A power distribution circuit on a circuit board 66 in compartment 62, is connected to the solar cells 60 for receiving electrical power from the solar cells and is connected to the battery cradle in the compartment for supplying the electrical power to charge the batteries 64 in the compartment when electrical power is being converted from light by the solar cells. The circuit is connected to the light sources 42 for supplying power from charged batteries 64 in the compartment to the light sources to light the light sources when no electrical power is being converted from light by the solar cells. To further extend the life of the batteries, the batteries are electrically isolated from one of their contacts in their cradle by an insulating, flexible plastic tab 68 in
As shown in
The same type of compartment 62 as in
Functionally the light sources and solar cell arrangement of
If the frame 24 must be mounted at a distance from the housing 62, a connecting wire 86 is used that has end plugs that plug into sockets 88 and 90 on the respective housing and frame, connected to the respective solar circuit 66 and LEDs 42, so the frame and housing can be mounted at different locations.
A peg 36 in this embodiment has a rectangular handle with two cylindrical posts extending from the handle for being force fit into a pair of apertures 38 at the front end of the channel for the character panels 12 and half width spacer panels 30. In this case the three charter panels (that carry the characters “D” and “3” and “4”) have the spacers 30 between the characters for a neat even display.
A battery cradle 71 with replaceable, rechargeable batteries 64, is mounted on a support on the inside surface of the side wall for each of the frames 22 (one for each side wall in the embodiment of
Holes 96 are provided for mounting the hinges for the mailbox door shown, e.g. at 76 in
Throughout this specification and the claims, relative terms such as upper, lower, inner, outer, left, right, front, rear, in front of, behind, and the like, are used for a better understanding of the orientation and structure of the parts of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and are meant to include their opposite meaning when determining the meaning and scope of protection afforded by the claims.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
