Patent Publication Number: US-6708876-B1

Title: Solar powered lighted mailbox

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to lighted mailboxes and more particularly pertains to a new solar powered lighted mailbox for identifying more easily the addresses of houses or homes. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of lighted mailboxes is known in the prior art. More specifically, lighted mailboxes heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,522,540; 5,460,325; 1,659,351; 5,649,378; 6,102,548; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 313,106. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new solar powered lighted mailbox. The prior art includes solar panels for lighting up mailboxes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new solar powered lighted mailbox which has many of the advantages of the lighted mailboxes mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new solar powered lighted mailbox which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art lighted mailboxes, either alone or in any combination thereof. The present invention includes a mail-receiving assembly including a box having walls and an open front end, and also including a door being hingedly attached to the box and being closable over the open front end; and also includes an address display assembly being mounted to the box and including racks being attached to the box; and further includes a light-emitting assembly being mounted to the box for emitting light. None of the prior art includes a rack having an elongate opening through which light is passed, and also includes panel members having openings which are structured as numerals and through which light is passed. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the solar powered lighted mailbox in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a new solar powered lighted mailbox which has many of the advantages of the lighted mailboxes mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new solar powered lighted mailbox which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art lighted mailboxes, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new solar powered lighted mailbox for identifying more easily the addresses of houses or homes. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new solar powered lighted mailbox that is easy and convenient to set up and use. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new solar powered lighted mailbox that is energy efficient and doesn&#39;t add cost to the user&#39;s utility bill. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a new solar powered lighted mailbox according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 3 thereof, a new solar powered lighted mailbox embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, the solar powered lighted mailbox  10  generally comprises a mail-receiving assembly including a box  11  having walls  12  and an open front end  13 , and also including a door  14  being hingedly and conventionally attached to the box  11  and being closable over the open front end  13 . The box  11  has openings  15  being disposed through the walls  12  thereof. The mail-receiving assembly further includes windows  16  being conventionally disposed in the openings  15 . The mail-receiving assembly also includes a handle  17  being conventionally attached to an outer side of the door  14  for opening and closing the door  14 , and further includes a flag member  18  being pivotally and conventionally attached to an outer side of one of the walls  12  of the box  11 . 
     An address display assembly is conventionally mounted to the box  11  and includes racks  19  being conventionally attached to the box  11 . Each rack  19  is conventionally mounted upon the box and is disposed over a respective one of the windows  16  with each rack  19  having a main planar portion  20  having an elongate opening  21  being disposed therethrough and extending approximately a length thereof, and also having longitudinal end portions  22 , 23  which are angled relative to the main planar portion  20  and which form tracks. Each rack  19  has a generally C-shaped lateral cross-section. The address display assembly further includes a plurality of panel members  25  being removably disposed upon the tracks. Each of the panel members  25  has an opening  26  being disposed therethrough with the opening  26  of the panel member  25  being structured to form a particular numeral. 
     A light-emitting assembly is conventionally mounted to the box  11  for emitting light. The light-emitting assembly includes a solar panel  27  being conventionally attached to a top of the box  11  for collecting solar energy from the sun and for converting the solar energy to electrical energy, and also includes a battery  28  being conventionally mounted in the box  11  and being connected with wires  29  to the solar panel  27 , and further includes a photo diode  30  being conventionally connected to the battery  28 , and also includes a light socket member  31  being conventionally mounted in the box  11  and being conventionally connected to the photo diode  30 , and further includes a light-emitting member  32  being removably disposed in the light socket member  31  for emitting light in the box  11  and through the windows  16 , the openings  21  through the racks  19 , and the openings  26  of the panel members  25 . The solar panel  27  also includes battery charging circuitry. 
     In use, the solar panel  27  would collect the solar energy which is converted to electrical energy and stored in the battery  28 , and the battery  28  would energize the light-emitting member  32  which would emit light through the windows and through the openings  26  of the panel members  25  so that the numerals indicating the address would be easily visible for guests and others. 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the solar powered lighted mailbox. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.