Mailbox and notification device

• US 20040140895A1
• Filed: 01/05/2004
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dexter N. Jordan
• Original Assignee: Dexter N. Jordan
• Inventors: Jordan, Dexter N.
• Application Number:
  US10/750,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20040140895A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/569
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/1226 comprising electrical parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/1228 activated by the weight of the letter
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/1201 Letter-box assemblies for apartment buildings
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/1212 comprising electrical parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/1214 including a receiver located remotely from the letter-box and a transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/1225 Signalling devices

Abstract

An individual rural-type mailbox and notification device. The device has a generally hollow cylindrical body with a flat bottom, a hinged front door on the front end of the generally hollow cylindrical body and a solid wall backing on the back end of the generally hollow cylindrical body. An intermittently blinking LED light on the hinged front door that is visible from the front of the generally hollow cylindrical body and an intermittently blinking LED light on the solid wall backing, that is visible from the back of the generally hollow cylindrical body, is also included. There is also a second embodiment of this invention, which is a lockbox-type mailbox and notification device with similar features.

Claims

1. An individual rural-type mailbox and notification device, comprising:

a generally hollow cylindrical body with a front end and a back end for receiving and containing mail, said generally hollow cylindrical body having a flat bottom, a hinged front door on the front end of the generally hollow cylindrical body and a solid wall backing on the back end of the generally hollow cylindrical body;

said flat bottom having a contact strip that covers a portion of the exposed surface of the flat bottom;

said hinged front door can be manually opened and must be opened to place mail into or to take mail out of the generally hollow cylindrical body;

an intermittently blinking LED light on the hinged front door that is visible from the front of the generally hollow cylindrical body and an intermittently blinking LED light on the solid wall backing, that is visible from the back of the generally hollow cylindrical body, to notify a user of the presence of mail;

a timing device that shuts-off the intermittently blinking LED lights for up to 8 hours; and

a power source to supply power to the individual rural-type mailbox and notification device.

2. The mailbox and notification device according to claim 1, wherein the generally hollow cylindrical body receives a physically inserted piece of mail, which activates the contact strip, which is electronically integral to the LED lights and the power source.

3. The mailbox and notification device according to claim 1, wherein the power source is a battery.

4. The mailbox and notification device according to claim 1, wherein the power source is an electrical outlet.

5. The mailbox and notification device according to claim 1, wherein the individual rural-type mailbox is made of sheet metal.

6. The mailbox and notification device according to claim 1, wherein the individual rural-type mailbox is made of a thermoplastic material.

9. The mailbox and notification device according to claim 6, wherein the power source is a battery.

7. A lockbox-type mailbox and notification device, comprising:

a generally rectangular hollow body with a front-hinged door and a flat bottom, said front-hinged door has a lock and key arrangement to secure mail held in the generally rectangular hollow body;

an LED light on the front-hinged door to indicate to a user that there is mail present in the generally rectangular hollow body; and

a contact strip that covers a portion of the flat bottom and a power source to supply power to the lockbox-type mailbox and notification device; and

a timing device to shut-off an activated LED light after a specified period of time.

8. The mailbox and notification device according to claim 7, wherein the generally hollow cylindrical body receives a physically inserted piece of mail-, which activates the contact strip, which is electronically integral to the LED lights and the power source.

10. The mailbox and notification device according to claim 7, wherein the power source is an electrical outlet.

11. The mailbox and notification device according to claim 7, wherein the individual rural-type mailbox is made of sheet metal.

12. The mailbox and notification device according to claim 7, wherein the individual rural-type mailbox is made of a thermoplastic material.