Abstract:
A specialized receptacle accommodates secure delivery of mail and small packages. The receptacle has a loading door hinged on the receptacle structure. The loading door has a main section and a secondary section that telescopes out of the main section as the loading door is opened. The telescoping section supports packages as they are delivered and prevents unauthorized access to the storage compartment of the receptacle.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONI 
     This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/221,204 filed on Dec. 23, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,910. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to the field of storage containers. More particularly, the invention is a receptacle for the secure delivery and temporary storage of small parcels and the like. 
     2. Prior Art 
     In recent years there has been explosive growth in shipments of small parcels. Competition among numerous delivery services has kept the cost of delivery reasonable. At the same time, mail order businesses have seen tremendous growth. Moreover, Internet-based retail businesses have proliferated, adding further to the volume of small parcel deliveries. 
     While more and more small parcels are being delivered, very little has been done to facilitate final delivery, particularly at residential locations. Frequently, deliveries are attempted at times when the residents are not at home. Depending upon the policies of the delivery service, delivery must then be attempted on a subsequent day or the package may be simply left on the recipient&#39;s door step. Each of these alternatives has disadvantages for the recipient. In the first case, delivery of the package is delayed, while in the second case, the package is subject to damage or theft. Therefore, there is a perceived need for a device to provide secure storage of delivered packages, particularly at residences. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a secure receptacle for receiving deliveries of mail and small packages. In one embodiment, the invention comprises an enclosed receptacle structure; a loading door hingedly coupled to the receptacle structure, the loading door comprising a main section with an upper portion and a lower portion and a secondary section slidably coupled to the lower portion of the main section; and a linkage member having a first end pivotally coupled to the secondary section and a second end pivotally coupled to the receptacle structure such that the secondary section extends and retracts from the lower portion of the main section during operation of the loading door. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a delivery receptacle constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a delivery receptacle similar to that shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a first perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a second perspective view of the delivery receptacle shown in FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known methods and devices are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG.  1 . Delivery receptacle  10  is in the form of a free-standing rectangular box-like structure. A loading door  12  is provided for receiving small packages and the like. Loading door  12  communicates with a first interior compartment as described below. A second loading door  14  may be provided for receiving normal mail deliveries, including letters, magazines and the like. If provided, loading door  14  communicates with a second compartment that is separate from the first compartment. Loading doors  12  and  14  may be located on different sides of receptacle  10  as shown or on the same side. If desired, either or both of doors  12  and  14  may have slots for deposit of flat articles. 
     For residential applications, receptacle  10  may have its exterior surfaces covered with a decorative material, such as brick, marble, ceramic, etc. Receptacle  10  may include a lamp  16 , which, together with a decorative covering, helps blend receptacle  10  into a residential setting. Receptacle  10  preferably includes indicia  18  to display the street address of the receptacle for the convenience of individuals making deliveries thereto. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of receptacle  10 . In this view, it will be noted that loading doors  12  and  14  are located on the same side of the receptacle. The receptacle is preferably constructed entirely of steel. For maximum durability, stainless steel is preferred, although other steel alloys may be used with suitable corrosion protection. Other durable materials may also be used. As noted above, the exterior surfaces of receptacle  10  may be covered with a decorative material, which may also be selected to enhance the durability of the receptacle. 
     The majority of the interior volume of receptacle  10  is devoted to a first compartment  21  for receiving small packages and the like. Packages deposited in compartment  21  may be retrieved through door  20  on the back side of the receptacle. As mentioned above, access to compartment  21  for deliveries is provided through loading door  12 . Door  12  has a main section  22  and a secondary section  24  that telescopes within the main section. The main section  22  comprises an upper portion  26 , which is the only portion of door  22  that is visible from the exterior of the receptacle, and a lower portion  28 . Door  12  pivots on a hinge  30  at the bottom of upper portion  26 . A handle  32  is provided at the top of upper portion  26  for operating the loading door. A linkage member  34  is pivotally coupled at a first end to the secondary section  24  of the loading door. The opposite end of linkage member  34  is pivotally coupled to the interior wall of the receptacle. Although only one linkage member is shown in FIG. 2, identical linkage members are preferably provided on each side of the loading door. 
     As loading door  12  is opened to the position shown in phantom lines, secondary section  24  is extended outwardly by operation of linkage member  34 . This provides a receiving shelf for delivery of a package and, more importantly, prevents an individual from reaching into compartment  21  when the loading door is open. The weight of the upper portion  26  is counterbalanced by the combined weight of secondary section  24  and lower portion  28  so that loading door  12  is biased toward the closed position. A bumper  36  is positioned opposite loading door  12  to help guide packages, particularly large packages, into compartment  21 . When a package is deposited, it slides toward the back of the receptacle until a corner of it is in contact with bumper  36 . As loading door  12  returns to the closed position, the package rotates about the corner resting on bumper  36  so that successively delivered packages are stacked as indicated in the drawing. 
     The floor of compartment  21  is defined by deck plate  38 , which is slightly inclined towards the front of the receptacle. This angle helps to stack successively delivered packages and also facilitates drainage in the event that liquid leaks from a delivered package. Deck plate  38  is preferably hinged at the front of the receptacle to provide access for mounting the receptacle structure to a suitable foundation. A pressure sensor  40  or similar means may be provided to indicate when a package has been delivered into the receptacle. Sensor  40  may activate a light or other signal means on the receptacle itself or may communicate with a remote indicator. Sensor  40  may be electrically coupled to circuitry that will automatically record the time and date of delivery. 
     A second compartment  42  is optionally provided for receiving letters and other mail. Access to compartment  42  is provided through loading door  14 . Compartment  42  is separated from compartment  21  by partition  44 . Partition  44  may be perforated or fabricated of a screen material so that the interior of compartment  21  may be viewed through loading door  14 . This is especially useful for determining if a package has been delivered into the receptacle if an indicator is not otherwise provided. 
     The dimensions of receptacle  10  may be selected as a matter of convenience. Different sizes of receptacles may be offered, which may be selected based upon the space available at the installation site. In one embodiment, receptacle  10  has a width of approximately 20 inches, a depth of approximately 18 inches, and an overall height of approximately 47.5 inches. The opening for door  12  is approximately 19 inches wide by 12 inches high. In an embodiment where door  14  is located on the same side of receptacle  10  as door  12 , the opening for door  14  is approximately 19 inches wide by 5 inches high. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention designed for mounting in a wall of a building or other structure. Receptacle  50  has a loading door  52  that is substantially identical to loading door  12 . A weather shroud  54  surrounds loading door  52 , which are the only portions of receptacle  50  that would normally be visible when suitably mounted in a wall of a structure. Door  52  preferably includes a magnetic or friction catch to more securely retain it in a closed position so that household pets cannot escape through receptacle  50 . As best seen in FIG. 4, the rear of receptacle  50  is open to facilitate removal of delivered packages. In this embodiment, deck  56  of receptacle  50  is inclined toward the rear of the receptacle. If the quantity of delivered packages exceeds the capacity of bin  58 , additional packages will simply slide out of the bin and onto the floor of the structure. 
     With reference again to FIG. 1, indicia  60  are preferably provided on or adjacent to the receptacle loading door  12 . Indicia  60  are preferably in the form of a bar code on a stainless steel plaque or other suitable durable material. Indicia  60  uniquely identify the delivery location of the receptacle and are machine readable by an optical scanner or equivalent means. Indicia  60  serve as an electronic “signature” of the intended recipient. When a delivery is made, the delivery person scans indicia  60  with a hand held device, which then maintains an electronic record of the delivery location. 
     Indicia  60  may be advantageously used to provide remote notification that a delivery has occurred. It is common practice for delivery services to scan packages as they are delivered and to transmit delivery information to a central station. By also scanning indicia  60 , the central station records can easily include identification of the delivery location. If the recipient has made suitable arrangements with the delivery service, the central station can then transmit a notification that delivery has been accomplished. Such notification may be made, for example, by transmitting a message to the recipient&#39;s paging receiver. 
     It will be recognized that the above described invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the disclosure. Thus, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited by the foregoing illustrative details, but rather is to be defined by the appended claims.