Abstract:
An accessory that can be mounted over a mailbox has a base with a pair of sidewalls that are spaced to straddle the mailbox. A frame assembly mounted on at least one of the sidewalls has one or more indicia bearing members removably attached thereto. These indicia bearing members are installed and arranged to supply address information. A light mounted at the frame assembly is powered by a power supply that has a solar powered charger for charging a battery in order to illuminate the indicia bearing members at night.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to accessories and methods for marking mailboxes, and in particular, to equipment and techniques for illuminating the markings. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    People use house numbers to identify their house from others on the street. Identifying a house is important for visitors and especially important should emergency personnel (police, firefighters, etc.) need to quickly find the house. People will place house numbers on the side of the building facing the street for maximum visibility. For his visibility at night, house current may be used to power a light to illuminate the house number. 
         [0005]    Often mailboxes are detached from the house and mounted on a post near the curb or street. Then, the mail delivery person need not walk from the street to the front of the house, which can be a long walk, especially in rural areas. The post supporting the curbside mailbox is typically an upright post with a horizontal cantilevered arm. The mailbox is attached by driving screws through a lower apron of the mailbox into the cantilevered arm. This type of mailbox is usually a box with a cylindrical roof integral with a pair of parallel sidewalls. A hinged door in the front of the mailbox can be opened to deliver/retrieve mail. 
         [0006]    Marking a house number on such a mailbox is especially helpful since the number is very close to passerbys, who need not search the front of a house to find an often obscure house number. On the other hand, illuminating the house number marked on such a mailbox is difficult because of its distance from the house where electrical power is available. One can run power cables from the house to the curbside mailbox but such an installation is expensive, requires specialized skills and materials, and can be pose safety hazards. 
         [0007]    Also, even if one is willing to route electrical power from the house, one must modify the mailbox to include a light or replace the mailbox with one originally manufactured with a light. 
         [0008]    See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,5460,325; 5,522,540; 5,649,378; 6,299,325; 6,629,766; 6,708,876; 6,719,193; and 6,964,366; as well as US Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006/0118609 and 2007/0006496 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In accordance with the illustrative embodiments demonstrating features and advantages of the present invention, there is provided an accessory for a mailbox. The accessory has a base with a pair of sidewalls that are spaced to straddle the mailbox. Also included is a frame assembly mounted on at least one of the sidewalls. The accessory also has one or more indicia bearing members removably attached to the frame assembly. Also included is a light mounted at the frame assembly. The accessory has also a power supply coupled to the light and having a solar powered charger. 
         [0010]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention a method for displaying indicia on a mailbox is provided. The method employs an arched base with an opposing pair of dependent sidewalls. The method includes several steps, performed in any order. One step is installing on at least one of the sidewalls one or more indicia bearing members arranged to supply address information. Another step is lowering the base over the mailbox with the sidewalls straddling the mailbox. The method also includes the step of storing solar energy to illuminate the indicia bearing members at night. 
         [0011]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention there is provided an accessory for a mailbox. The accessory has a base including a curved arch having (a) a dependent pair of sidewalls and (b) an upper pedestal with a battery compartment. The curved arch is adapted to rest atop the mailbox. The pair of sidewalls have lower portions that are parallel and adapted to straddle the mailbox. The sidewalls each have a plurality of peripheral fastening slots. The accessory also has a spaced pair of frames mounted on the pair of sidewalls. Also included is a pair of display boards slidably mounted in different corresponding ones of the pair of frames. The accessory also has a plurality of translucent indicia bearing panels attached to the pair of display boards. Also included is a plurality of lights mounted at the pair of frames. The accessory also has a power supply coupled to the plurality of lights and having (a) a pair of circuit boards mounted aloft in the pair of frames for supporting the plurality of lights, (b) a solar powered charger, (c) a light sensitive switch, (d) a voltage regulator, and (e) a solar cell mounted upon the pedestal. The solar cell is hingedly mounted on the pedestal in order to swing away and allow access to the battery compartment. 
         [0012]    By employing apparatus and methods of the foregoing type, opportunities for illuminating indicia on a mailbox are greatly enhanced. In a disclosed embodiment a saddle-shaped base is designed to fit over an existing mailbox and be fastened in place using mounting holes or slots provided along the bottom edge of the base. Accordingly, an existing mailbox can be retrofitted and need not be replaced. 
         [0013]    In this disclosed embodiment frames mounted on opposite sides of the base have slots for receiving display boards that carry a series of panels bearing numbers, letters or other indicia indicating the house number or other information associated with the owner&#39;s address. 
         [0014]    Lights such as LEDs can be mounted in a cavity in the frame behind the display board to backlight the indicia bearing panels. The LEDs can be mounted on a horizontal, printed circuit board mounted at the ceiling of the cavity. 
         [0015]    In this embodiment, the LEDs are normally powered by a rechargeable battery mounted in a compartment inside a pedestal at the top of the base. The batteries can be recharged by a solar panel that is part of a lid that is hinged to the pedestal. The disclosed lid can be lifted to gain access to the battery compartment. In any event, the batteries can be charged by the solar panel during daylight, while at night a light sensitive switch can operate to deliver battery power to illuminate the LEDs. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The above brief description as well as other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments in accordance with the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of an accessory in accordance with principles of the present invention; 
           [0000]    the 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the accessory of  FIG. 1 , showing details of a frame assembly; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a power supply for illuminating the lights of  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the accessory of  FIG. 1  installed on a mailbox. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the illustrated mailbox accessory has a base  10  with a curved arch  10 A integral with a pair of sidewalls  108  whose lower portions are parallel and notched with a pair of peripheral fastening slots  10 C. A frame assembly is shown as a spaced pair of frames  12  mounted on sidewalls  10 B. Each of the frames  12  has the form of a five sided rectangular box that is open in front, but includes in front lateral flanges  12 A, as well as upper channel  14  and lower channel  16 . 
         [0022]    In  FIG. 2 , a vertical cross-section is taken through the middle of frame  12 , revealing that channel  14  is composed of two short, parallel walls  14 A and  14 B, while channel  16  is composed of two short, parallel walls  16 A and  16 B. Channels  14  and  16  are designed to slidably receive display boards  18  shown in perspective in  FIG. 1  and in phantom in  FIG. 2 . In this embodiment board  18  can be either translucent or transparent. 
         [0023]    Board  18  is designed to receive one or more indicia-bearing members, shown as translucent panel  20  marked with a character. Alternatively, panel  20  may be a stencil-like marker. A number of panels similar to panel  20  will be composed side-by-side on board  18  to indicate a house number or other address information. 
         [0024]    Panel  20  can be secured to board  18  by adhesive. Alternatively board  18  can be manufactured with recesses designed to receive panel  20 . In some embodiments board  18  may be a sleeve into which panel  20  may be slid. Furthermore in some embodiments panel  20  can be mounted behind board  18 , which will in this case be transparent. In any event it is desirable to secure panel  20  to board  18  before sliding them together into channels  14  and  16 . 
         [0025]    Printed circuit board  22  is mounted to the ceiling of frame  12  by standoffs  24 . Mounted on circuit board  22  are a series of six lights, one such light shown herein as LED  26 . LEDs  26  shine into the cavity of frame  12  and backlight display board  18  and indicia-bearing panels  20 . Other circuit components  28  on printed circuit board  22  are described further hereinafter. 
         [0026]    Projecting upwardly from the curved arch  10 A of base  10  is a hollow pedestal  30 , which is open on top and contains three rechargeable batteries  32  in the pedestal&#39;s battery compartment. A four sided frame  34  is hinged to the rim of pedestal  30  and supports a solar panel  36  having a plurality of solar cells. Solar panel  36  incorporates a photodiode D 1 , which acts as a light sensitive switch in a manner of the described further hereinafter. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , photodiode D 1  is shown connected to switched regulator circuit Z, which is part of a power supply. The cathode of blocking diode D 2  is connected to circuit Z. The anode of diode D 2  is connected to the positive terminal of previously mentioned solar panel  36 , whose negative terminal is grounded. Panel  36  is part of a solar powered charger. Circuit Z is also connected to the positive terminal of previously mentioned, rechargeable batteries  32 ) whose negative terminal is grounded. Previously mentioned lights  26  are shown as two parallel arrays (one for the right and the other for the left) connected between circuit Z and ground. Each of the arrays  26  comprise six serially connected LEDs  26 A- 26 F, which are connected anode to cathode, with the cathode of the last LED  26 F grounded. 
         [0028]    Arrays  26  are mounted on the two previously mentioned printed circuit boards (boards  22  in the two frames  12  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Circuitry  28  (diode D 2  and circuit  2 ) can be mounted on either one of these printed circuit boards or on a separate circuit board dedicated to this purpose. As previously mentioned, batteries  32  are mounted in the pedestal (pedestal  30  of  FIG. 1 ) and elements  36  and D 1  are mounted in the hinged frame (frame  34 , also of  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a conventional mailbox  40  is shown with a semicylindrical roof integral with a pair of parallel sidewalls, one of them fitted with the usual swinging flag  41 . The mailbox is closed in front with a door of  42 . The underside of mailbox  40  is recessed and is shown straddling cantilevered beam  44 , which is mounted on upright post  46  and reinforced with slanted brace  48 . The lower edges of mailbox  40  are shown fastened to beam  44  with fasteners  50 , for examples screws or nails. Two of the fasteners  50  are inserted through the previously mentioned slots  10 C to secure base  10  onto mailbox  40 . Base  10  is shaped to conform closely to the outline of mailbox  40  and is positioned with solar panel  36  facing up. 
         [0030]    Frame  12  (on both sides) is fitted with four markers  20  indicating a four digit house number, although it will be appreciated that in some embodiments the displayed house number may be a different number of digits. 
         [0031]    To facilitate an understanding of the principles associated with the foregoing apparatus, its operation will be briefly described During daylight sunlight will stimulate solar panel  36  and photodiode D 1  ( FIG. 3 ). Consequently, panel  36  will produce a current that forward biases diode D 2  and in response, switched regulator circuit Z will apply a charging current to batteries  32 . Because it is also stimulated, photodiode D 2  becomes conductive and sends a signal to circuit Z that prevents current from flowing through LED arrays  26 . 
         [0032]    When night falls solar panel  36  is no longer stimulated and will produce essentially no current or voltage. Blocking diode D 2  will prevent reverse current from flowing through panel  36 . Because it is no longer stimulated, photodiode D 1  sends a signal to switched regulator circuit Z, which now allows a discharging current to flow from batteries  32  into LED arrays  26 . 
         [0033]    With LEDs  26  now energized, white light will be emitted from the LEDs into the interior of frame  12  ( FIG. 2 ). Consequently, display board  18  and translucent panels  20  ( FIGS. 1 and 4 ) will be backlighted so that passerbys can easily see the house number at night. 
         [0034]    It is appreciated that various modifications may be implemented with respect to the above described embodiments. Base  10  can be formed of metal, plastic, or other materials and can be formed by molding, extrusion, stamping, dies etc. In some embodiments base  10  can be made a flexible material that can be bent around a mailbox in order to conform with mailboxes having different shapes. Also, in some embodiments the sidewalls of the base can hang lower than the mailbox itself to provide a larger area for accommodating larger house numbers. Instead of using lower peripheral fasteners, some embodiments may use adhesives or other means to fasten the base to the mailbox. While backlighting LEDs are disclosed, other embodiments may use front lighting and the lights may be incandescent bulbs, electroluminescent panels, etc. Alternatively, a series of LEDs may be laid out on individual panels to form characters of a house number. In some embodiments batteries may be mounted inside the frames holding the house numbers. In addition, solar panels may be mounted atop the frames holding the house numbers, or directly atop the base. Furthermore, the light sensitive photodiode may be a phototransistor, photocell, or other photosensitive device and may be mounted in another location, not necessarily adjacent to the solar panel. Also the size, shape, proportions, and other dimensions of the mailbox accessory can be altered depending upon the size and shape of the target mailbox, the desired strength and capacity of the accessory, as well as other environmental, physical, structural, or aesthetic considerations. 
         [0035]    Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.