U.S. patent application number 11/052591 was filed with the patent office on 2006-08-10 for reinforced plastic mailbox.
Invention is credited to Robert C. Beckmann, Robert W. Lackey.
Application Number | 20060175390 11/052591 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36758478 |
Filed Date | 2006-08-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060175390 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lackey; Robert W. ; et
al. |
August 10, 2006 |
REINFORCED PLASTIC MAILBOX
Abstract
A plastic mailbox has a postal compartment mounted on top of a
newspaper compartment which in turn is mounted on top of a two
piece upright plastic support. The laterally opposite side wall
structures and arched top structure of the postal compartment and
the laterally opposite side wall structures and the bottom
structure of the newspaper compartment have inner and outer walls
for strength. The postal compartment is strengthened by a pair of
longitudinally extending rows of upward bulges or pockets in the
arched ceiling segment of the inner wall of its arched top
structure. The postal compartment are further strengthened by a
forward projecting lip encircling forward end of the mailbox. A
partial wall at the rear of the newspaper compartment serves as a
newspaper stop and as a reinforcing structure.
Inventors: |
Lackey; Robert W.; (Hickory,
NC) ; Beckmann; Robert C.; (Vail, NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
John B. Hardaway,III;NEXSEN PRUET,LLC
P.O. Box 10107
Greenville
SC
29603
US
|
Family ID: |
36758478 |
Appl. No.: |
11/052591 |
Filed: |
February 7, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
232/17 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 29/1203 20130101;
A47G 29/1216 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
232/017 |
International
Class: |
B65D 91/00 20060101
B65D091/00 |
Claims
1. A mailbox, comprising: a postal compartment with front and rear
ends and including: a longitudinally extending outer wall having
laterally spaced upright segments and an arched segment between the
upper ends of said upright segments and a longitudinally extending
inner wall having laterally spaced upright segments and an arched
segment between the upper ends of said upright segments, said inner
wall and said outer wall being spaced from one another, said arched
segment of said inner wall including two rows of longitudinally
spaced upwardly extending pockets adjacent the junctions,
respectively, of said arched segment of said inner wall with said
upright segments, and a newspaper compartment with open front and
rear ends including: a pair of longitudinally extending laterally
spaced side wall structures extending between said front and rear
ends, each having laterally spaced inner and outer upright walls, a
bottom wall structure extending between said front and rear ends
having a horizontal inner wall interconnecting the lower ends of
said inner upright walls and a horizontal outer wall
interconnecting the lower ends of said outer upright walls, and a
partial rear wall extending upwardly from said horizontal inner
wall at said rear end, said partial rear wall serving as a
reinforcement and as an abutment for a newspaper placed in said
newspaper compartment.
2. The mailbox of claim 1 wherein said postal and newspaper
compartments include shoulders at their forward ends defining a
forward projecting lip encircling the front end of said
mailbox.
3. A mailbox having a postal compartment, comprising a
longitudinally extending outer wall having laterally spaced upright
segments and an arched segment between the upper ends of said
upright segments and a longitudinally extending inner wall having
laterally spaced upright segments and an arched segment between the
upper ends of said upright segments, said inner wall and said outer
wall being spaced from one another, said arched segment of said
inner wall including two rows of longitudinally spaced upwardly
extending pockets adjacent the junctions, respectively, of said
arched segment of said inner wall with said upright segments.
4. A mailbox having a newspaper compartment with open front and
rear ends, comprising: a pair of longitudinally extending laterally
spaced side wall structures extending between said front and rear
ends, each having laterally spaced inner and outer upright walls, a
bottom wall structure extending between said front and rear ends
having a horizontal inner wall interconnecting the lower ends of
said inner upright walls and a horizontal outer wall
interconnecting the lower ends of said outer upright walls, and a
partial rear wall extending upwardly from said horizontal inner
wall at said rear end, said partial rear wall serving as a
reinforcement and as an abutment for a newspaper placed in said
newspaper compartment.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Applicants have the following pending U.S. patent
applications on related subject matters:
[0002] Ser. No. 11/024,265 filed Dec. 28, 2004 for a Ground Mount
Post;
[0003] Ser. No. ______ filed ______ for a Mailbox and Support;
[0004] Ser. No. ______ filed ______ for a Mailbox with Signal;
[0005] Ser. No. ______ filed ______ for a Multiple Component
Mailbox having Postal and Newspaper Compartments;
[0006] Ser. No. ______ filed ______ for a Reinforced Plastic
Mailbox and
[0007] Ser. No. ______ filed ______ for a Mailbox Door with Rain
Intercepting Structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In order to gain approval of the United States Postal
Service a mailbox must comply with certain specifications including
withstanding impact tests. A wide variety of mailboxes are being
marketed including metal and plastic mailboxes. In order to
minimize weight and material expense, a two wall plastic
construction may be used. A brittle rigid plastic would shatter
when subjected to an impact test and therefore a flexible resilient
plastic is preferred. In addition to the need to pass the tests of
the U.S. Postal Service, to obtain its approval, it is desirable to
provide a mailbox which will withstand abuse by pranksters or
vandals who may use baseball bats.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A plastic mailbox includes a double walled postal
compartment, a double walled newspaper compartment beneath the
postal compartment and a vertical support with a hollow interior
adapted to receive an upright support post set in the ground. The
top and sides of the postal compartment are formed by an inner wall
and an outer wall spaced outwardly from the inner wall. The sides
and bottom of the newspaper compartment are likewise defined by
inner and outer walls. A partial rear wall in the newspaper
compartment serves as a newspaper stop. The inner wall of the
postal compartment has a ceiling part, which is reinforced by a
plurality of longitudinally spaced bulges formed therein. The front
portions of the postal and newspaper compartments have a stepped
construction producing a forwardly projection rim.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plastic mailbox with parts
broken away for illustration purposes;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a front view of the mailbox of FIG. 1 with parts
broken away for illustration purposes;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the postal compartment of
the mailbox;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a housing component of the
postal compartment;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the housing component of the
postal compartment;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 in FIG. 5;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a front view of the housing component of the
postal compartment taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6, and
[0018] FIG. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 in FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The plastic mailbox 11 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes
a postal compartment 12, a newspaper compartment 13 and a two piece
support 14 attached to the underside of the newspaper compartment
13. The support 14 is secured to a wooden mounting post 16 by
screws 17. As shown in FIG. 3, the postal compartment 12 includes a
housing component 18 and a floor 19 secured to the housing
component 18 by four screws 21, only two of which are shown. As
shown in FIG. 2, the newspaper compartment 13 has a pair of
laterally spaced side wall structures 26, 27 and a bottom structure
28. Side wall structure 26 includes an inner wall 29 and an outer
wall 31 and side wall structure 27 includes an inner wall 32 and an
outer wall 33. The bottom wall structure 28 includes a horizontal
inner wall 34 and a horizontal outer wall 36 spaced vertically
below the inner wall 34. A partial rear wall 37 at the rear of the
newspaper compartment 13 serves as a stop for newspapers inserted
into the newspaper compartment 13 by a newspaper carrier. The
partial rear wall 37 also strengthens the newspaper compartment
13.
[0020] Referring to FIGS. 3 though 8 the postal compartment 12 has
a longitudinally extending double walled arched roof structure 43
and double wall side wall structures 46, 47 formed by an outer wall
41 and on the inner wall 42. The outer and inner walls 41, 42 each
have laterally spaced upright segments and an arched segment
between the upper ends of the upright segments. An arched ceiling
48 segment of the inner wall 42 has a pair of longitudinally
extending parallel rows of upwardly extending and spaced pockets or
bulges 51, 52 forming longitudinally extending parallel rows of
equally spaced pockets 53, 54. The upwardly extending pockets 51,
52 provide rigidity and strength to the ceiling segment 48 of the
inner wall 42 and thus afford resistance to downward deflection of
the roof structure 43 of the postal compartment 18 should it happen
to be impacted.
[0021] The postal compartment 12 and the newspaper compartment 13
are strengthened at their front ends by formation of a shoulder 61
at the forward end of the outer wall 41 of the postal compartment
housing 18 and by formation of a shoulder 62 at the front end of
the newspaper compartment 13. The shoulders 61, 62 define a
forwardly projecting reinforcing lip 64 encircling the front of the
postal and newspaper compartments 12, 13. The lip 64 projects
forwardly from the top and side wall structures 43, 46, 47 of the
postal compartment 12 and projects forwardly from the side and
bottom wall structures 26, 27, 28 of the newspaper compartment 13
thereby circumscribing the front of the mailbox 11.
* * * * *