Delivery signal and appliance control system

• US 5,247,282 A
• Filed: 12/11/1991
• Issued: 09/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharron Marshall
• Original Assignee: Sharron Marshall
• Inventors: Marshall, Sharron
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oda, Christine K.
• Application Number:
  US07/804,919
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 340/569, 340/539, 340/310 R, 232/34, 232/35
• US Class Current: 340/569
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/1214 including a receiver located remotely from the letter-box and a transmitter

Abstract

A delivery signal and appliance control system generates audible or visual signal within a dwelling to indicate that a delivery, such as a newspaper or piece of mail has been deposited in a remote delivery container, such as a mailbox, and also controls current through electrical wall receptacles inside the dwelling to operate appliances responsive to the delivery. The system has a delivery notification switch at the remote delivery container which is connected to a control box in the dwelling. The control box is connected to dedicated electrical wall receptacles into which electrical appliances may be plugged. The control box has a DC circuit activated by the delivery notification switch upon receipt of an article being deposited in the delivery container to generate an audible or visual signal and to control an AC circuit which allows electrical current through the dedicated electrical receptacles to provide electrical power to electrical appliances plugged into the receptacles. Optionally a radio frequency signal transmitter may be connected to the control box to generate a radio frequency signal which is received by a radio frequency receiver remote from the control box.

Claims

1. A delivery signal and appliance control system for activating electrical receptacles and appliances plugged thereinto responsive to delivery of an article comprising;

a delivery container for receiving an article to be delivered,

a delivery notification switch operatively connected with said delivery container and movable from an open position to a closed position upon receipt of said article being deposited in said delivery container,

control means operatively connected with said delivery notification switch and to a source of DC electrical current, and

dedicated electrical receptacles remote from said delivery container operatively connected to a source of AC electrical current and to said control means and into which electrical appliances may be plugged,

said control means preventing AC current to flow through said dedicated electrical receptacles when said delivery notification switch is in the open position,

said control means being selectively activated by said delivery notification switch moving to the closed position upon receipt of said article being deposited in said delivery container to complete a DC electrical circuit in said control means to allow AC electrical current to flow through said dedicated electrical receptacles and to electrical appliances plugged thereinto.

2. The delivery signal and appliance control system according to claim 1 including;

indicator means remote from said delivery container and operatively connected to said control means for selective operation,

said control means being selectively activated by said delivery notification means upon receipt of said article being deposited in said delivery container to cause said indicator means to generate a signal indicating that said article has been deposited in said delivery container.

3. The delivery signal and appliance control system according to claim 2 in which;

said indicator means is an audible signal generator operatively connected to said control means for selective operation.

4. The delivery signal and appliance control system according to claim 2 in which;

said indicator means is a visual signal generator operatively connected to said control means for selective operation.

5. The delivery signal and appliance control system according to claim 2 in which;

said indicator means is a radio frequency signal transmitter operatively connected to said control means for selective operation to generate a radio frequency signal which is received by a radio frequency signal receiver remote from said control means.

6. The delivery signal and appliance control system according to claim 1 including;

bypass means operatively connected to said control means to selectively bypass the operation of said delivery notification switch and activate said control means to allow AC electrical current through said dedicated electrical receptacles and to electrical appliances plugged thereinto regardless of whether said article has been deposited in said delivery container.

7. The delivery signal and appliance control system according to claim 1 in which;

said control means comprises;

a relay having a winding connected to said source of DC electrical current and to said delivery notification switch and having a set of DC contacts on one side of the winding and a set of AC contacts on the other side of the winding,

a normally open activate switch and a normally closed reset switch connected in series to the DC contacts of said relay and said delivery notification switch connected between said activate switch and said reset switch to complete a DC circuit upon said activate switch or said delivery notification switch being moved to the closed position to activate said relay,

an AC plug connected to said relay AC contacts and adapted for connection to at least one said dedicated electrical receptacle for completing an AC electrical circuit through said dedicated electrical receptacle upon activation of said relay by said delivery notification switch or by said activate switch to provide AC electrical current to electrical appliances plugged thereinto.

8. The delivery signal and appliance control system according to claim 7 in which;

said dedicated electrical receptacles comprise a dedicated control receptacle for receiving said AC plug connected to said relay, and

one or more dedicated electrical appliance receptacles into which electrical appliances may be plugged, said dedicated appliance receptacles operatively connected to said dedicated control receptacle to provide AC electrical current to electrical appliances plugged thereinto upon activation of said relay by said delivery notification switch or by said activate switch.

9. The delivery signal and appliance control system according to claim 8 in which;

said dedicated control receptacle has a neutral terminal connected to the neutral line of the source of AC current and a hot terminal connected to a neutral terminal of at least one said dedicated electrical appliance receptacle,

said at least one dedicated electrical appliance receptacle has a hot terminal connected to the source of AC current, and

each said dedicated control receptacle and said dedicated electrical appliance receptacle has a ground terminal connected to ground.

10. The delivery signal and appliance control system according to claim 7 including;

a signal selection switch connected to said relay DC contacts,

an audible signal generator and a visual signal generator connected to said signal selection switch,

said signal selection switch capable of being selectively positioned between and "off" position, an "audible" position, and a "visual" position to provide no signal, an audible signal, or a visual signal, respectively, upon activation of said relay to indicate that said article has been deposited in said delivery container.

11. The delivery signal and appliance control system according to claim 7 including;

a RF transmitter jack connected between said relay DC contacts and said signal selection switch for connection of a RF transmitter.

12. The delivery signal and appliance control system according to claim 11 including;

a RF transmitter operatively connected to said RF transmitter jack to provide a RF signal upon activation of said relay capable of being intercepted by a RF receiver to indicate that an article has been deposited in said delivery container.

13. A delivery signal and appliance control system for activating electrical appliances responsive to delivery of an article comprising;

a delivery container for receiving an article to be delivered;

a delivery notification switch operatively connected with said delivery container and movable from an open position to a closed position upon receipt of said article being deposited in said delivery container;

control means including a relay having a winding connected to a source of DC electrical current, a set of DC contacts on one side of the winding, a normally open activate switch and a normally closed reset switch connected in series to the DC contacts, a set of AC contacts on the other side of the winding, and an AC plug connected to said AC contacts, and said delivery notification switch connected between said activate switch and said reset switch to complete a DC circuit upon said activate switch or said delivery notification switch being moved to the closed position to activate said relay;

electrical receptacles remote from said delivery container including a dedicated control receptacle and one or more dedicated electrical appliance receptacles into which electrical appliances are plugged, said dedicated control receptacle having a neutral terminal connected to the neutral line of the source of AC current and a hot terminal connected to a neutral terminal of at least one said dedicated electrical appliance receptacle, said at least one dedicated electrical appliance receptacle having a hot terminal connected to the source of AC current, and each said dedicated control receptacle and said dedicated electrical appliance receptacle having a ground terminal connected to ground;

said relay being connected to said dedicated control receptacle by said AC plug to form an AC electrical circuit through said dedicated electrical receptacles which is completed upon activation of said relay by said delivery notification switch or by said activate switch to allow AC electrical current to flow through said dedicated electrical appliance receptacles and to electrical appliances plugged thereinto.