Abstract:
A self-supporting device, which may be adjustably mounted in a mail delivery vehicle having a bracket including two members forming a slot sized to closely fit over an upwardly projecting edge of a mail delivery tray mounted within a mail delivery vehicle. A tray is connected to the bracket. The tray has a horizontal bottom wall and vertical side walls. When the device is mounted on the edge of the mail delivery tray, it can support mail within arms reach of a mail carrier sitting behind the steering wheel of the mail delivery vehicle.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 is claimed based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/485,357 filed Jul. 7, 2003, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Technical Field  
         [0003]     Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a self-supporting tray for and method of positioning mail within a mail delivery vehicle.  
         [0004]     United States Postal Service mail carriers receive bundles of mail for delivery. A bundle is any separately sequenced collection of mail to be delivered. Examples of bundles include 1) delivery-point sequenced mail (“DPS mail”), which has been placed in order of the addresses on the street by automated equipment, 2) flat mail, which is large envelopes or magazines, 3) letters, postcards and smaller mail that is manually put in the delivery sequence by the carrier in the central mail processing facility, 4) full coverage mail, which is usually an advertisement or a political flyer which is intended to be delivered to every address on a route, 5) “marriage mail,” which is a term for advertisements that are inserted into other mail to be delivered such as a newspaper or magazine and 6) parcel post packages.  
         [0005]     Each of the bundles is stored for loading and delivery in trays or tubs. These containers are loaded on and under large metal trays in the delivery vehicles. The vehicles used by United States Postal Service carriers include the older “long-life-vehicles” (“LLV”) and the newer “flexible fuel vehicles” (“FFV”).  FIG. 1  is a possible arrangement of five bundles, each in a tray or tub ( 10 - 18 ) in a LLV vehicle: trays  10 ,  12 , and  14  are placed on the large metal tray  20 , tray  16  is placed on the seat by the driver and tray  18  is placed on the floor of the vehicle. The tray  20  accommodates up to three of the smaller containers. Thus three of the bundles noted above, from which a mail carrier must collect mail for each address, may be stored on tray  20 . However, if other bundles exist, while the vehicle physically has room to carry them, they are not easily accessible to the driver, because they are on the floor by the driver&#39;s feet or in the driver&#39;s lap.  
         [0006]     Moreover, the carrier must reach into each container for each bundle to pull any mail that exists in that bundle for the approaching address. This repetitive motion includes stretching and bending depending on how many bundles exist and where the containers storing the bundles are located. Injuries may occur as a result.  
         [0007]     One attempted solution used a gap of a few inches between the driver and the edge of tray  20 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , in the past, some carriers have attempted to use small tray  25  in the gap to hold a smaller number of pieces of mail to be delivered. This small tray  25  hung off of tray  20  and was held in position by setting one of the bundle containers on top of a flange  27  on tray  25  extending a approximately a quarter of the way along the width of tray  20 . Tray  25  could hold any letter-size mail the carrier wished. However, when the mail in the container sitting on top of flange  27  was delivered, the reduced weight might not be enough to keep flange  27  of tray  25  down on tray  20 , and small tray  25  would tip or completely fall off of tray  20 , spilling everything it contained onto the carrier and parts of the vehicle. Additionally, if a container needed to be moved and a carrier forgot that it was holding down flange  27  of tray  25 , the same problem would occur when the carrier picked up the container to move it.  
         [0008]     Other drivers reduced the number of times they needed to bend forward by selecting a few pieces of mail from the lower bundles and storing it between their fingers as they drove.  
         [0009]     Additionally, mis-sequenced mail may be present in any of the bundles. The vehicle has no pre-planned location for this mail, which must be set aside until that address is next for delivery, or if the address is not on that route, the mail must be returned to the central mail processing facility for inclusion in the proper route.  
         [0010]     Finally, carriers collect undeliverable mail out of the bundles as well as out of mailboxes. Examples of undeliverable mail is automatically sequenced mail that is addressed to a person at an address who no longer lives there, but because the mail is not first class, it is not forwarded, or misaddressed mail, i.e., addressed to an address that does not exist. The term “nixie” mail applies to this and anything else that must be returned to the post office for further processing. There is no preplanned location for storing this mail separately in the vehicle, and if it is not separated from the other mail which must be returned, it must be sorted again. This extra sorting interferes with the ability of the carrier to further sort the mail and deliver it in the time required.  
         [0011]     An apparatus to store mail within easy reach of the drivers is needed.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0012]     As embodied and broadly described herein, an embodiment consistent with the invention is an apparatus for holding mail to be delivered. The device includes a bracket having two members forming a slot sized to closely fit over an edge of a mail delivery tray mounted within a mail delivery vehicle. A tray is connected to the bracket. The tray has a bottom wall and side walls. When the apparatus is mounted on the edge of the mail delivery tray, it can support mail within arms reach of a mail carrier sitting behind the steering wheel of the mail delivery vehicle.  
         [0013]     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments consistent with the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings,  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the front portion of a vehicle carrying five bundles of mail;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a previously used tray;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a side view of an embodiment consistent with the invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a side view of an embodiment of a bracket consistent with the invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the embodiment of the bracket of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an embodiment consistent with the invention including the bracket of  FIGS. 5 &amp; 6 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  shows the embodiments of  FIGS. 4 and 7  as installed in a vehicle;  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  illustrates each of the two above embodiments installed in a vehicle and containing mail; and  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  illustrates a carrier selecting mail in the embodiment of  FIG. 9 .  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]     Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments consistent with the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  illustrates a side view of an embodiment consistent with the invention. The device  30  includes bracket  32  and a tray  38 . Bracket  32  includes two projections  34  and  36 , forming a slot  35  between them that runs the entire length of the bracket. The width of the slot  35  closely approximates the thickness of the edge of a tray  20  on which the device  30  is mounted. As here embodied, the edge of the tray  20  is ⅛ inch wide, and slot  35  is {fraction (5/32)} inch wide. Thus when mounted on the edge of tray  20 , as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , bracket projections  34  and  36  are very close to the side surfaces of the edge of large metal tray  20  and secure bracket  32  and tray  38  to the edge of tray  20 . As here embodied, slot  35  has a depth of ⅝ inches. As here embodied, bracket  32  is constructed of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and tray  38  is constructed of pure vinyl and UHMWPE.  FIG. 8 , illustrates device  30  mounted in a carrier&#39;s delivery vehicle. Thus, as long as the material is strong enough, bracket  32  will be able to support weight in tray  38  without slipping off of tray  20 . However, because it is a slip fit over the edge, bracket  32  may be slid forward or backward along the edge of tray  20  by hand to position tray  38  to the carrier&#39;s preferred location.  
         [0027]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of device  30 . As here embodied, tray  38  has a taller back wall  40  than front wall  46  or side walls  42  and  44 , to provide a surface upon which mail stacked in tray  38  may rest at an angle, as illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . Back wall  40  forms an angle with bottom wall  48 . As here embodied, that angle is approximately  114  degrees (best shown in  FIG. 3 ). Tray  38 , as here embodied, has a rectangular bottom wall  48  and is sized to accommodate mail that is at least slightly longer than standard letter envelope size. In this embodiment bottom wall is 13 and ⅝ inches long and 3 and ⅝ inches wide. Back wall  40  is integrally connected to bracket  32 , thus tray  38  is non-adjustable with respect to bracket  32 . Side walls  42  and  44  are preferably constructed of UHMWPE and bottom wall  48 , back wall  40  and front wall  46  are preferably constructed of pure vinyl. Side walls  42  and  44  are trapezoidal in shape to follow the angle formed between back wall  40  and bottom wall  48 . Front wall  46 , as here embodied is rectangular, 13 and ⅝ inches long and 1 and {fraction (13/16)} inch high and forms a 90 degree angle with bottom wall  48 .  
         [0028]     Variations on the relationships between the disclosed components of tray  38  are possible. Specifically, while bottom wall  48  is illustrated as horizontal, it could form an angle with respect to horizontal. The angle may be any value that does not allow the mail stored in the tray to fall out of the tray. While back wall  40  is illustrated as forming an obtuse angle with bottom wall  48 , the angle may be perpendicular or even acute as long as the mail stored in the tray does not fall out of the tray. Additionally, the dimensions of the walls may also be varied as long as the resulting combination does not allow the mail stored in the tray to fall out in normal operation.  
         [0029]     Another embodiment consistent with the invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 5-7 . In this embodiment, device  60  has an angled portion  50  which includes angled wall  51  and projection  52 , which forms an angle, as here embodied, to match the angle on tray  38  between back wall  40  and bottom wall  48 . Angled portion  50  is preferably constructed of pure vinyl. Projection  52  includes a hole  56  and a curved slot  53  that provides the ability to pivot tray  38  at an angle with respect to bracket  32  as depicted in  FIGS. 7, 8 ,  9  &amp;  10 . Hole  56  is in a corner of projection  52  closest to bracket  32 . As here embodied, hole  56  has a center located ½ inch from bracket angled wall  51  and ⅞ inch in from the left edge of projection  52 . Slot  53  is ⅜ inch wide and is on a 6⅝ inch radius from the center of hole  56 .  
         [0030]     In this embodiment tray  38  is not integral with bracket  32 , but is connected to projection  52  of bracket  32  by two fasteners. As here embodied tray  38  has two holes for bolts to pass through in order to connect tray  38  and bracket  32 . Each hole is sized just greater than the diameter than bolts  54  (shown in  FIGS. 7 &amp; 8 ) and  58  (shown in  FIG. 8 ) to provide a surface on which the bolt head or an associated washer (not shown) can exert a clamping force to adjustably affix tray  38  to bracket  32 . The carrier places bracket  32  over the edge of tray  20  and locates it appropriately along the length of that edge. Then he or she loosens the fasteners beneath projection  52  and positions it as desired. Once tray  38  is in the desired position relative to bracket  32 , the carrier hand tightens the fasteners. As with the non-adjustable embodiment  30 , when mail is stacked in tray  38 , the torque generated on bracket  32  does not cause it to pull off of the edge of tray  20 .  
         [0031]     The invention is used by placing a stack of letter size or smaller mail from a full coverage bundle, such as ADVO notices, in an embodiment of the device. Thus up to five bundles can be within reach of a carrier&#39;s arm without having to bend down or at his or her finger tips, rather than in a carrier&#39;s lap, between his or her fingers, or stashed on the dashboard or floor of the vehicle. The entire route&#39;s worth of full coverage mail may not fit within the portable tray, but the frequency with which a carrier will have to bend and stretch to access the tray or tub with the full coverage mail from that bundle will be greatly reduced. Moreover, the carrier can safely spend attention driving rather than attempting to keep the mail from spilling.  
         [0032]     Carriers also use the self-supporting bracket and tray to store mis-sequenced mail that is present in a bundle, until the address is next for delivery. Another use is to place undeliverable mail retrieved from mailboxes along the route or present in a bundle in the tray. The tray maintains it separately from other mail, thus reducing the time required to accurately place it in the proper location upon return to the central mail processing facility at the end of a carrier&#39;s route.  
         [0033]     Other embodiments consistent with the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.