Abstract:
The invention features a container that includes an opening for inserting and removing a letter, a first opening for opening and examining the letter, and a window for visually checking the letter against a contrasting color of an interior surface of the container. The container which may have a closed configuration is used for opening and detecting harmful, suspicious foreign substances such as white powdery particles included in letters of postal mail systems.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    This invention relates to containers for handling items such as letters and parcels.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Typically, the postal system is used for harmlessly sending and receiving correspondence and packages such as letters and parcels. However, with the advent of bio-terrorism and increasing use of the postal system for delivering and infecting the general population, extreme care and caution must be exercised in handling seemingly harmless items. Due to the massive volume of letters and parcels to be examined, the use of high tech devices for detecting foreign or suspicious substances is often prohibitively costly and impractical. Therefore, a feasible and practical system for detecting suspicious substances is needed.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0003]    In general, in one aspect, the invention provides a container that includes an opening for inserting and removing a letter, a first opening for opening and examining the letter, and a window for visually checking the letter against a contrasting color of an interior surface of the container.  
           [0004]    Additional features may be included. The container includes a plurality of panels, at least one of which includes the window and is configured to open the container for placing a parcel within the container.  
           [0005]    As yet another feature, the contrasting color is black, and the container includes a second opening which together with the first opening provide a passage in the container for inserting a user&#39;s hands through the first and second opening.  
           [0006]    As another feature of the invention, the container has a closed boxed configuration. The container is configured to be disposed as a sealed container, and the interior surface of the container includes a static coating for trapping particles.  
           [0007]    Embodiments may have one or more of the following advantages.  
           [0008]    Bio-terrorist agents can be microorganisms, toxins, biological molecules, enzymes, gases, mutagens, and chemical regents. One of the most effective ways to protect against infections by bio-terrorist agents through mail is to be able to detect the harmful particles and substances before substantial and sufficient exposure is made. In other words, examination in a closed container provides the protection required before any harmful substance can contaminate the surrounding area and environment.  
           [0009]    The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a side view of the container of FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a front view of the container of FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]    Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary container  10  for handling letters and parcels is shown. The container  10  has the dimensions of approximately 25 cm×25 cm×45 cm for home use and 50 cm×75 cm×75 cm for office use. The container  10  allows a letter handler to open and examine a letter for the presence of foreign or suspicious substances by detecting such substances against a surface of contrasting color, such as black. The handler can visually spot a suspicious substance if it is present by placing the letter within the container  10 , opening the letter inside the container  10 , and visually monitoring the contents to see if any suspicious, powdery substances are visible against the dark, black interior surface of the container.  
         [0014]    In particular, the container  10  includes a top panel  12  and a bottom panel  14 . The container  10  also includes four vertical panels  16   a - 16   d , an opening  17 , a vertical interior surface  18 , a bottom interior surface  20  and a top interior surface  22 . The top panel  12  has a window  24 , which allows the handler to view the internal contents of the container  10  when the top panel  12  is in a closed configuration (FIG. 3). The window  24  is a transparent plastic film.  
         [0015]    The top panel  12  also includes a closing border  26  around a peripheral edge  25  of the top panel  12  for securely joining the top panel  12  to a lower section  26  of the container  10 .  
         [0016]    The side interior surface  18  and the bottom interior surface  20  are coated with a polypropylene synthetic paper of a contrasting color such as black. The synthetic black paper is not permeable to water, microorganisms, small particles or substances, toxins, biological molecules, enzymes, or chemical reagents. The synthetic black paper also provides static interaction with powder and dusty like, light substances so that such particles cannot be dispersed.  
         [0017]    One of the vertical sections  16   a - 16   d , i.e., the vertical section  16   b  includes an opening  30  used for inserting the letter through the opening  30  into the container  10 . The vertical panels  16   a  and  16   b  each includes side passages  32   a  and  32   b , respectively, each of which includes side openings  34   a  and  34   b  in turn.  
         [0018]    Referring to FIG. 2, details of the side passage  32   a  on the vertical panel  16   a  are shown. The side passage  32   a  includes a perforated contour  36  around the side passage  32   a  for adjustably controlling the size of the opening  34   a . The perforated contour  36  allows for easy insertion of hands for handling the letter by pushing the flap  38  and folding the flap  38  against the side interior surface  16  of the container  10 . The flat  38  allows these interior surfaces of the container  10  to be uncontaminated and free of any dust particles before the container  10  is being used for detection purposes by the user to eliminate the possibility of a false detection. In FIG. 2, the container  10  is in an open configuration  40  with the top panel  12  displaying the opening  17  which is used for placing large letters or parcels within the container  10 .  
         [0019]    Referring to FIG. 3, the container  10  is in a closed box configuration  50  with the top panel  12  tightly joined to the lower section  26  (FIG. 1).  
         [0020]    The use of the container  10  is now described in greater detail below in conjunction with FIG. 1 to FIG. 3.  
         [0021]    The container  10  is provided to a handler or user with usage instructions either pre-printed on the outside of the container  10  or in a separate sheet of paper. The container  10  is portable thus it may arrive either in an assembled, semi-assembled, or unassembled state (not shown). In a semi-assembled state, the container  10  is made of collapsible parts and the various panels forming the container  10  must be folded in order analogous to following instructions for folding a typical storage box. The user is also provided with latex gloves, a cutting device, and sealing tape for use with the operation of the container  10 .  
         [0022]    Once the container  10  is assembled and ready for use, the handler dons a pair of gloves and places the letter or parcels inside the container  10  at the opening  17 . The user must be careful not to handle the letter directly without protective inhalation gear or otherwise when the letter is not contained within the container  10 . If the letter is sufficiently small, the letter may be slipped through the opening  30  and the container may be kept in the closed configuration  50  as shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0023]    The user then inserts his hands through the side passages  32   a  and  32   b , opens the letter with a cutting device already placed within the container  10 . The user can now examine and closely monitor if the letter has any suspicious contents or if particles such as powder, fine granules, and the like which fall from the letter onto the bottom interior surface  20  as it is being opened. If suspicious particles are light colored powder such as white or beige, the contrasting black color of the bottom interior surface  20  facilitates the detection of such particles, even if very little amount is present. The user can visually detect and examine the letter through the window  24 .  
         [0024]    If the user does not detect any suspicious particles, but upon reading a written message in the letter determines that the contents of the letter is of interest to law enforcement, the user carefully places the letter in a plastic bag for further examination of fingerprints and the like.  
         [0025]    If the user detects the presence of suspicious particles, the box can be immediately sealed with protective tape and delivered to law enforcement. If no suspicious particles or substances are found, the container  10  may be reused as necessary, but preferably for a limited time such as a two-week period. As a safety precaution, the container  10  is discarded together with any and all tools used inside the container  10 , only after carefully sealing and taping the top plate  12  so that it is tightly sealed for disposal as a hazardous substance.  
         [0026]    The container  10  is made of durable paper material such as cardboard-based material. In other embodiments, the container  10  may be made of acrylic based materials. Acrylic materials may have a longer usable life as it is possible to periodically clean them with anti-bacterial solutions, disinfectants, bleaches, and the like.  
         [0027]    In other embodiments, bulging sacs are provided in the side passages  32   a  and  32   b  so the side interior surface  18  and the bottom interior surface  20  of the container  10  are completely sealed off when the container  10  is in the closed configuration  50 . The bulging sacs may be used either alone or in combination with the user&#39;s gloves for added protection. The bulging sacs may be configured to be gloves as well.  
         [0028]    Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.