Abstract:
A mailbox which has a plate along which mail slides before it falls into a rear compartment, which is not easily accessible from the front of the mailbox. A rear door can optionally be locked in its closed position, and only by successfully opening this door can a person obtain mail deposited within the mailbox of the present invention. All of this is achieved while maintaining a relatively small mailbox size.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/577,763, entitled “Theft Protection Mailbox”, filed on Jun. 7, 2004, and the specification thereof is incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field): 
   The present invention relates to a mailbox. Particularly, the present invention relates to a mailbox which is not excessively large and bulky, and which is resistant to theft of items disposed therein due to its internal design. 
   2. Background Art 
   The theft of mail is a continuing problem with conventional mailboxes, such as the common “rural” style box typically employed in rural and suburban neighborhoods. A conventional mailbox simply has a hinged door, and can be opened and accessed by anyone. Theft of mail is common, including theft of items such as checks, social security checks, credit cards and the like, and is a contributing factor to identity theft. 
   There are a number of patents which disclose various mailboxes with security features. However, all of the heretofore known mailboxes have limitations. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,642 discloses a mailbox that is approximately three times the height of a conventional box. With such an unusually large height, not only is this mailbox bulky and distracting to observers from the surrounding landscape, but such a large mailbox also requires more material to produce and is thus more expensive to manufacture and ship. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,938,113; 5,526,979; and 4,993,626 are similar to the foregoing patent, and these mailboxes also suffer the same drawbacks of the mailbox described in that patent. Other patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,344, involve complex shapes and are large and unwieldy in design. Still other patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,758,027 and 3,401,875, incorporate complex mechanical components, and optionally require the use of heavy gage metal construction or specialized shapes. There is thus a need for a mailbox which can provide protection from theft of items disposed therein while not being overly large and while not requiring complex or unwieldy shapes. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Briefly stated, the present invention includes a mailbox that is elongated, and includes within it a shelf which is preferably sloping, such that due to the slope of the shelf or a shove from a user, the mail can physically travel beyond the edge of the shelf and fall therebelow. The mailbox preferably has an ordinary hinged door on the front, which need not be lockable, and a hinged door on the rear, which preferably is lockable. First class mail can be placed within the box and the shelf and slid toward the rear thereof until such mail falls off the shelf. Upon falling from the shelf, the mail preferably falls to the bottom of the mail box, and is positioned such that the arm of a person cannot retrieve the mail so deposited when the person is attempting to snatch the mail through the front door of the mailbox. Thus the mail is secured, and can be retrieved only by a person who can access the rear door. As such, the mail can preferably only be retrieved by a person who has a key that enables such a person to access the rear door. Small parcels and other than first class mail may be placed beneath the shelf, and is thus accessible only from the front, by opening the front door. In another embodiment, the mailbox preferably includes a rear chamber into which mail is slid from the shelf, which rear chamber preferably extends, on the bottom plane, an additional distance, thereby defining a different height for the chamber at the rear of the box as compared to the chamber at the front of the box. 
   The invention thus provides a theft resistant mailbox which includes a substantially elongated structure wherein movably positional doors are disposed at proximal and distal ends of said structure; a plate disposed within and a distance above a bottom of said structure, wherein said plate spans at least a substantial distance across an internal width of said elongated structure; a front chamber; a rear chamber; and a locking mechanism. In one embodiment the plate is disposed in a substantially parallel fashion with the bottom of said structure. In another embodiment the plate is disposed such that a distance between its proximal end and a top of said structure is substantially less than a distance between a terminal end of said plate and a top of said structure. In yet another embodiment, a proximal end of said plate is disposed a distance of at least one-half the height of a proximal opening of said elongated structure. In yet another embodiment a proximal end of said plate is disposed less than two inches below a top of said elongated structure, such as less than about one and one-fourth inches below a top of said elongated structure. In the theft resistant mailbox the rear chamber preferably extends below said front chamber. The locking mechanism is provided such that it locks said door disposed at said distal end of said structure in a closed position. The theft resistant mailbox can further include a movably positional flag. In one embodiment of the theft resistant mailbox, a maximum height of said elongated structure is less than about 14 inches. 
   It is preferred that the plate extends substantially the same distance within said elongated structure as said front chamber. The plate can further provide a second portion, which may be of the same material, which forms a barrier between the front chamber and the rear chamber, which barrier is connected to or proximate to the bottom of the structure. Thus in this way the front chamber is isolated from the rear chamber other than by means of the space above the plate. 
   The invention further provides a method for securing mail in a mail box, the method including the steps of: providing a substantially elongated structure having at least one front door and at least one rear door, wherein the rear door is lockable in a closed position; disposing a plate within said structure and positioned a distance above a bottom of the structure; providing front and rear chambers, wherein said rear chamber is accessible via the rear door; and wherein at least one piece of mail is slideable across the plate and disposable within the rear chamber. In this method, the step of providing front and rear chambers can include providing a rear chamber which extends a distance below the front chamber. The plate may be in a substantially parallel fashion with a top of the elongated structure, or may be in a non-parallel fashion with a top of the elongated structure. The step of disposing a plate can include positioning the plate in such a non-parallel fashion that when an envelope is placed thereon, the envelope will slide down the plate. Thus the step of disposing a plate can include placing a proximal edge of the plate less than about two inches from a top of the structure, or alternatively placing a proximal edge of the plate less than about one and one-quarter inches from a top of the elongated structure. In the method the front chamber can include a rear wall which prevents mail from being passed from the rear chamber to the front chamber. The method can further include the step of providing a movably positional flag. 
   A primary object of the present invention is to provide a secured mailbox which does not require or use complex mechanical components, and which is as close in size to a conventional mailbox as is possible. 
   Other objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating one or more preferred embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a drawing depicting a perspective view of a mailbox of the present invention in which internal features of the mailbox are visible; 
       FIG. 2  is a drawing depicting a perspective view of the mailbox of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C are side, front, and back views respectively which depict an embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIGS. 4A ,  4 B, and  4 C are side, front, and back views respectively which depict an embodiment of the present invention along with the most preferable dimensions thereof. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to theft-resistant mailboxes, particularly to theft-resistant mailboxes which are relatively close in dimension to a standard size mailbox. 
   The term “plate” as used throughout the specification and claims of this application is used for the sake of simplicity and to maintain consistency throughout this application. The term “plate” is not limited only to smooth plainer objects, but rather can include any type of structure so long as it is capable of supporting the weight of an envelope resting on it, or sliding down it. Upon studying this application, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the “plate” can be made of virtually any material and can be textured or substantially flat and yet still produce desirable results. Further, the “plate” is not limited to being only a solid surface, rather it can be a grill-type structure wherein a plurality of rods or other elongated members are disposed near one another and reside in a substantially parallel fashion therewith. The “plate” may further include rollers or other friction-reducing elements to facilitate the movement of mail therealong. 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective view drawing depicting an embodiment of the present invention wherein a side panel is depicted as being transparent such that internal features of mailbox  10  can be better depicted and thus more easily understood by those reading this application. Although a side of mailbox  10  is being depicted as being transparent, this is only done for clarity and to aid in a better understanding of an embodiment of the present invention. Mailboxes constructed in accordance with the present invention can be made from virtually any material capable of withstanding exposure to the whether, as well as materials which are not capable of withstanding exposure to the whether so long as such materials are properly treated, coated, or otherwise sheltered from the elements. The mailbox of the present invention is preferably made from a metal, plastic, or a combination thereof and most preferably is made from tin which itself is preferably galvanized or painted. In one embodiment mailbox  10  is of a generally conventional design. Mailbox  10  preferably has front opening  15  and rear opening  20  disposed respectively at proximal and distal ends of housing  25 . Front door  30  is preferably pivotally connected to a bottom portion of mailbox  10  through any one of the well known methods of pivotal attachment known to those of skill in the art. Rear door  35  is also preferably hingedly attached to a bottom portion of mailbox  10  through any of the well known methods of pivotal attachment. 
   Internally disposed within housing  25  preferably resides plate  40 . In one embodiment of the present invention, plate  40  resides in a substantially parallel alignment with a bottom of mailbox  10 . As such, when mailbox  10  is properly mounted or otherwise installed, plate  40  is substantially horizontal and mail which is disposed thereon preferably will not slide due to gravity. In the most preferred embodiment, however, plate  40  is disposed within housing  25  at an angle (see  FIG. 1 ). In this embodiment, when mailbox  10  is properly mounted or otherwise installed, mail placed on plate  40  preferably slides down plate  40  due to the force of gravity exerted thereon. In this embodiment, when mail has slid past a proximal end of plate  40  it falls into rear chamber  45 . If plate  40  is installed in a substantially horizontal manner, such that mail deposited on it does not slide, it is preferable that the person leaving the mail physically shove it along plate  40 , with the fingertips of the user, until the mail falls into rear chamber  45 . 
   The proximal end of plate  40  is preferably disposed more than halfway up opening  15 , and more preferably about two inches or less from a top of opening  15 , and most preferably about one and one-fourth inches or less from a top of opening  15 . If mailbox  10  is constructed having a typical domed top with vertical sides, as is most common in mailbox construction, the proximal end of plate  40  is then disposed at the height where the vertical sides terminate and the curve of the top begins (see  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3 ). It is further preferable that the distal end of plate  40  be positioned at some height above a bottom of front opening  15 , thus forming front chamber  50  which has an open proximal end and a closed distal end. As such, access to rear chamber  45  cannot be obtained via front chamber  50 . While not critical, it is preferable that the closed distal end of front chamber  50  preferably be disposed a distance above its floor. The height that this affords front chamber  50  at its distal end enables that chamber to be used for placement of larger-sized mail items, which due to the limited clearance above plate  40 , prevents such items from being slid thereon. Other non-security sensitive items such as magazines, and “junk mail” can be left in front chamber  50 . And such items so left can easily be retrieved by the recipient of such mail simply by the recipient opening front door  30  of mailbox  10 . 
   If plate  40  is disposed in a sloped manner, mail left for the mailman must be placed in front chamber  50  since items placed on plate  40  would slide down it and fall into rear chamber  45 . As best depicted in  FIG. 2 , when outgoing mail is placed in chamber  50 , flag  55  is preferably pivotally raised to indicate the existence of such mail. 
   Preferably plate  40  further includes a back portion, such that rear chamber  45  is isolated from chamber  50  except for the sloped area above plate  40 . Thus rear chamber  45  is separated from chamber  50 . 
   Chamber  50  may thus be utilized for outgoing mail, and may further be utilized by the mailman for delivery of small parcels, other than first class mail, and the like. 
   After incoming mail has either been shoved down plate  40  or slid down plate  40 , and has fallen into rear chamber  45 , a person can preferably no longer reach such mail through front opening  15  of mailbox  10 . This is because the only opening to rear chamber  45  from front opening  15  is above plate  40 , and because plate  40  is preferably disposed near a top of mailbox  10  at a distance therefrom as previously described. The height of the opening above plate  40  is thus too small for a person to shove a hand or arm therethrough. As such, the height of the opening above the proximal end of plate  40  is preferably just enough to enable a person to shove mail back along plate  40  using his or her fingertips. Thus, mail residing in rear chamber  45  must be retrieved by opening rear door  35 . Since one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a mailbox which prevents theft of mail, lock  60  is preferably used to fixedly secure rear door  35  in its closed position until such time as lock  60  is deactivated. Upon studying this application, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that lock  60  can be of virtually any type, design, and/or construction, and can be disposed virtually anywhere on mailbox  10  so long as it is made to lock door  35  in its closed position. It is most preferable that lock  60  be a keyed lock which is most preferably disposed on rear door  35  itself. As such, a user wishing to retrieve mail from rear chamber  45  must preferably possess the correct key. Of course an additional locking mechanism can be used for added security. For example, a conventional padlock can be used in conjunction with a hasp which can be used to secure rear door  35  to housing  25  in a closed fashion. 
   While mailbox  10  can be made to numerous dimensions, the dimensions most preferably used for mailbox  10  are depicted in  FIGS. 4A ,  4 B, and  4 C. As depicted therein, the height of the front of mailbox  10  is most preferably about 9 inches. The overall length and overall width of mailbox  10  is most preferably about 26 inches and about 10 inches respectively. The height of the rear of mailbox  10  is most preferably about 12 inches. With the aforementioned dimensions, it is easy to see that the bottom of rear chamber  45  most preferably drops about another three inches below the bottom of front chamber  50 . This additional drop of about three inches makes it even more difficult for a person to insert an object along plate  40 , make a right angled turn and proceed straight down to the bottom of rear chamber  45  and thus remove items therefrom without a key to unlock lock  60 . As such, this preferred additional depth to rear chamber  45  preferably increases the security of mailbox  10 . The rear portion of plate  40 , which is parallel to the doors when the doors are in a closed position, may be coextensive with the portion forming an additional depth to rear chamber  45 , or alternatively it may be placed elsewhere, for example such that it is closer to the front portion of the mailbox  10 . 
   Although the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to these preferred embodiments, other embodiments can achieve the same results. Variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents. The entire disclosures of all references, applications, patents, and publications cited above and/or in the attachments, and of the corresponding application(s), are hereby incorporated by reference.