Theft preventative mailbox with rear residential and storage vault door and remote unlocking activation mechanism

• US 20090084836A1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph H. Dudley
• Original Assignee: Joseph H. Dudley
• Inventors: Dudley, Joseph H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,854,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 232/34
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/12095 comprising a chute and a separate outlet door

Abstract

What is disclosed is a secure mailbox having at least an upper compartment with a plurality of sides, a front mailbox door hinge-ably coupled to a front edge of a side of the upper compartment, a locking and unlocking mechanism being adapted to lock the front mailbox door to the upper compartment and an unlocking activation mechanism coupled to the locking and unlocking mechanism; an upper rear mailbox door hinge-ably coupled to a rear edge of a side of the upper compartment, a locking and unlocking mechanism being adapted to lock the rear mailbox door to the upper compartment and an unlocking activation mechanism coupled to the locking and unlocking mechanism and a lower compartment having a lower, rear mailbox door hinge-ably coupled to a rear edge of a side of the lower compartment, at least one trap door being located between the upper compartment and lower compartment.

Claims

1. A secure mailbox, comprising:

an upper compartment having a plurality of sides forming said enclosed upper compartment;

a front access door hinge-ably coupled to along a front edge of a side of said upper compartment;

a first locking and unlocking mechanism being adapted to lock the front access door to the upper compartment when the front access door is in the closed position;

a first unlocking activation mechanism coupled to the first locking and unlocking mechanism adapted to unlock the front access door;

an upper rear access door hinge-ably connected along a rear edge of a side of the upper compartment;

a second locking and unlocking mechanism being adapted to lock the upper rear access door to said upper compartment when the rear access door is in the closed position;

a second unlocking activation mechanism coupled to the second locking and unlocking mechanism adapted to unlock the upper rear access door; and

at least one remote activation means coupled to at least one of said first, second and third unlocking activation mechanisms, said at least one first, second and third unlocking activation means being remotely activated using the at least one remote activation means.

2. The secure mailbox of claim 1, further comprising a lower compartment below the upper compartment and at least one trap door allowing ingress from the upper compartment into the lower compartment.

3. The secure mailbox of claim 2, further comprising a trap door mechanism, the at least one trap door being opened and closed using trap door mechanism.

4. The secure mailbox of claim 3, wherein the trap door mechanism holds the at least one trap door in a default closed position so that outgoing mail can be placed into the upper compartment at any time.

5. The secure mailbox of claim 3, wherein the trap door mechanism maintains at least one trap door in the default open position, with the at least one trap door movable to the closed position if outgoing mail is to be placed in the upper compartment.

6. The secure mailbox of claim 3, wherein the remote activation means comprises a card key system having at least one master card encoded with a plurality of unique identifiers and at least one subordinate card encoded with a subset of the unique identifiers;

and

a card reader located proximate to the mailbox and coupled to at least one of the locking and unlocking mechanisms, said card reader operable to unlock the door coupled to the locking and unlocking mechanism upon receiving a signal from the master encoded card or subordinate card.

7. The secure mailbox of claim 6, wherein the card key reader is one selected from the group consisting of a contact reader and a proximity reader.

8. The secure mailbox of claim 6, wherein the master card encoded with a plurality of unique identifiers is adapted to activate unlocking mechanisms coupled to the at least one of the first, second and third unlocking activation means of multiple mailboxes.

9. The secure mailbox of claim 6, wherein said card reader is powered by a power source consisting of one from the group of AC power, rechargeable DC battery, non-rechargeable DC battery or DC solar.

10. The secure mailbox of claim 3, wherein the at least one remote activation means comprises a FOB system.

11. The secure mailbox of claim 10, wherein the FOB system further comprises at least one master radio frequency (RF) transmitter adapted to output one of a plurality of unique digital signals and at least one subordinate RF transmitter adapted to output a subset of such unique digital signals;

an RF receiver adapted to receive a subset of said unique digital signals;

said RF receiver located proximate to the mailbox and coupled to the at least one the locking and unlocking mechanism, said RF receiver operable to unlock at least one of the mailbox doors upon receiving a specific digital signal from the master RF transmitter or subordinate RF transmitter.

12. The secure mailbox of claim 11, wherein the master FOB transmitter is operable to activate at least one unlocking mechanisms on multiple mailboxes.

13. The secure mailbox of claim 11, wherein said RF receiver is powered by a power source consisting of one from the group of AC power, battery, solar or wind.

14. The secure mailbox of claim 11 wherein the master RF transmitter and subordinate RF transmitter are in the form factor from the group consisting of a wand and key FOB.

15. The secure mailbox of claim 3, wherein the at least one remote activation means comprises an RFID system.

16. The secure mailbox of claim 15, wherein the RFID system further comprises:

a least one remote master RF transceiver and at least one remote subordinate RF transceiver;

at least one RF module located proximate to a mailbox and coupled to at least one of the locking and unlocking mechanisms;

said master RF transceiver and subordinate RF transceiver operable to interrogate the RF module;

said RF module adapted to return a unique digital identification;

the master RF transceiver operable to compare the unique digital identification to a set of identifications provided in a table;

the subordinate RF transceiver operable to compare the unique digital identification to a unique identification stored in the subordinate RF transceiver; and

said RF module operable to unlock at least one mailbox door upon receiving a match acknowledgment signal from either the master RF transceiver or subordinate RF transceiver.

17. The secure mailbox of claim 16, wherein the master RF transceiver is operable to activate unlocking mechanisms on multiple mailboxes.

18. The secure mailbox of claim 16, wherein said RF module is powered by a power source consisting of one from the group of AC power, battery, EM activation (passive) or solar.

19. The secure mailbox of claim 3, further comprising a signaling means adapted to inform the owner that mail has been inserted in the secure mailbox.

20. The secure mailbox of claim 3, wherein the signaling means is one selected from the group consisting of an LED, located proximate the box or away from it, and a wireless signal sent to a receiver within the home of the mailbox owner coupled to a visible or audible transducer.