Patent Publication Number: US-11026531-B2

Title: Secure package delivery assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to delivery assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new delivery assembly for preventing return or theft of a package. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a first bracket and a box. The first bracket is configured to couple to one of an upper end and a lower end of a door so that a first plate of the first bracket, to which the box is coupled, is positioned in substantial abutment to an exterior face of the door. An aperture that is positioned in a top of the box is configured to allow insertion of a package. A retention assembly that is coupled to and positioned in the box is configured to deter extraction of the package through the aperture. An opening is positioned in a horizontal face of the box to allow a user to retrieve the package. A panel that is hingedly coupled to the horizontal face is selectively couplable to the box to securely close the opening. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure 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 disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure 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 an isometric perspective view of a secure package delivery assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric perspective of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, a new delivery assembly embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the secure package delivery assembly  10  generally comprises a first bracket  12  and a box  14 . The first bracket  12  configured to selectively couple to one of an upper end and a lower end of an entry door of a structure so that a first plate  16  of the first bracket  12  is positioned in substantial abutment to an exterior face of the entry door. 
     The first bracket  12  also comprises a second plate  18  and a third plate  20 . The second plate  18  is coupled to and extends perpendicularly from a first endpoint  22  of the first plate  16 . The third plate  20  is coupled to and extends perpendicularly from the second plate  18  distal from the first plate  16  so that the first bracket  12  is C-channel type. The first bracket  12  is configured to selectively insert the one of the upper end and the lower end of the entry door, positioning the first plate  16 , the second plate  18 , and the third plate  20  in substantial abutment to the exterior face, the one of the upper end and the lower end, and an interior face of the entry door, respectively. Thus positioned, the first bracket  12  would be difficult or impossible to remove from the entry door when the entry door is closed and locked. 
     A cutout  24  is positioned in the first plate  16  to lower a mass of the first bracket  12 . The cutout  24  extends from proximate to the first endpoint  22  to proximate to a second endpoint  26  of the first plate  16 . 
     A pair of end plate holes  28  is positioned in the second plate  18  so that each end plate hole  28  is positioned to accept a plate screw  30  to selectively couple the second plate  18  to the one of the upper end and lower end of the exterior door to further secure the first bracket  12  to the entry door. 
     A pair of interior plate holes  32  is positioned in the third plate  20 . The interior plate holes  32  are threaded so that each interior plate hole  32  is positioned to threadedly insert a plate bolt  34 . The plate bolt  34  is configured to be tightened to removably clamp the first bracket  12  to the exterior door, allowing the first bracket  12  to be coupled to entry doors having a variety of thicknesses. The plate bolt  34  is clamping type so that a knob  36  of the plate bolt  34  is configured to be selectively rotated, by action of a hand of a user, to removably clamp the first bracket  12  to the exterior door. 
     The box  14  is coupled to the first plate  16  of the first bracket  12 . The box  14  has a front  38  and a back  40 , with the back  40  being dimensionally taller than the front  38  so that a top  42  of the box  14  tapers downwardly from the back  40  to the front  38 . The box  14  thus is configured to allow runoff of water from the top  42 . 
     A plurality of first couplers  44  is coupled to the back  40  of the box  14 . A plurality of second couplers  46  is coupled to the first plate  16 . The second couplers  46  are complementary to the first couplers  44  so that each second coupler  46  is positioned to selectively couple to a respective first coupler  44  to couple the box  14  to the first plate  16  at a selected position between the first endpoint  22  and the second endpoint  26  of the first plate  16 . 
     The plurality first couplers  44  comprises a plurality of first holes  48 . The plurality of second couplers  46  comprises a plurality of second holes  50 . Each second hole  50  is positioned proximate to a respective opposing edge  52  of the first plate  16  so that the second hole  50  is selectively alignable with a respective first hole  48 , positioning the second hole  50  and the respective first hole  48  for insertion a respective bolt  54  so that the respective bolt  54  is positioned to be coupled to a respective nut  56  to couple the box  14  to the first plate  16 . 
     The plurality of first holes  48  comprises four first holes  48 . The plurality of second holes  50  comprises two rows  58  of second holes  50  that are positioned singly proximate to each opposing edge  52  of the first plate  16 . Each row  58  extends from proximate to the first endpoint  22  to proximate to the second endpoint  26  of the first plate  16 . 
     Each of a plurality of washers  60  is selectively positionable over a respective bolt  54 , between a respective nut  56  and the back  40  of the box  14 , so that the washer is positioned to facilitate rotation of the respective nut  56  on the respective bolt  54 . 
     An aperture  62  that is positioned in the top  42  of the box  14  is configured to allow insertion of a package into the box  14  by a delivery agent, as may be required when a recipient of the package is not available to accept delivery. The aperture  62  is rectangularly shaped so as to complement the shape of the majority of packages. A lid  64  is hingedly coupled to the top  42  of the box  14  so that the lid  64  is positioned to selectively close the aperture  62 . 
     A retention assembly  66  is coupled to and is positioned in the box  14  proximate to the top  42 . The retention assembly  66  is configured to deter extraction of the package through the aperture  62 , thus deterring theft of the package. 
     The retention assembly  66  comprises a plurality of first tines  68  and a plurality of second tines  70 . The first tines  68  and the second tines  70  are hingedly coupled to and extend substantially perpendicularly from the front  38  and the back  40  of the box  14 , respectively, into the aperture  62  so that a terminus  72  of each first tine  68  and an end  74  of each second tine  70  are positioned substantially equally distant from the front  38  and the back  40 . The first tines  68  and the second tines  70  are spring-loaded so that the first tines  68  and the second tines  70  are configured to pivot toward a bottom  76  of the box  14 , to insert the package, and to rebound, to deter extraction of the package through the aperture  62 . 
     The first tines  68  and the second tines  70  are arcuate so that the first tines  68  and the second tines  70  extend arcuately toward the bottom  76  of the box  14 , thus facilitating insertion of the package into the box  14 . The first tines  68  and the second tines  70  are alternately positioned relative to opposing sides  78  of the box  14 . The plurality of first tines  68  comprises from three to seven first tines  68 . The plurality of second tines  70  comprises from four to eight second tines  70 . The plurality of first tines  68  may comprise five first tines  68  and the plurality of second tines  70  may comprise six second tines  70 . 
     An opening  80  is positioned in a horizontal face  82  of the box  14  so that the opening  80  is positioned to allow a user to retrieve the package from the box  14 . The opening  80  is rectangularly shaped. The opening  80  may be positioned in a front  38  of the box  14 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , or in a respective opposing side  78  of the box  14 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     A panel  84  is hingedly coupled to the horizontal face  82 . The panel  84  is selectively couplable to the box  14  so that the panel  84  is positioned to selectively and securely close the opening  80 . A lock  86  that is coupled to the panel  84  is selectively couplable to the box  14  so that the lock  86  is positioned to lock the panel  84  in a closed configuration, as shown in  FIG. 2 , to deter theft of the package in the box  14 . The lock  86  is key operated. 
     A bolt hole  88  is positioned in the box  14  proximate to a lower corner  90  of the box  14 . An eyebolt  92  selectively threadedly insertable into the bolt hole  88 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , so that the eyebolt  92  is coupled to the box  14 . The eyebolt  92  is configured allow an item to be locked to the box  14 . For example, a cable and padlock, not shown, could be used to secure another delivery item to the box  14 . 
     In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 6 , a connector  94  is coupled to and extends from the second endpoint  26  of the first plate  16 . A second bracket  96  is coupled to the connector  94  distal from the first plate  16 . The second bracket  96  is configured to selectively couple to the other of the upper end and the lower end of the entry door of the structure so that the second bracket  96  is positioned to stabilize the first bracket  12  and the box  14  relative to the exterior face of the entry door. 
     The second bracket  96  is C-channel type. A plurality of bracket holes  98  is positioned in the second bracket  96  so that each bracket hole  98  is positioned to insert a respective bracket screw  100  to couple the second bracket  96  to the exterior door. The plurality of bracket holes  98  comprises eight bracket holes  98 , which are positioned four apiece in an interior plate  102  and an exterior plate  104  of the second bracket  96 , and two bracket holes  98  that are positioned in a connecting plate  106  of the second bracket  96 . 
     In use, each of the first holes  48  that are positioned in the box  14  each are aligned with a respective second hole  50 , the bolts  54  are inserted, and the nuts  56  are threaded to the bolts  54  to couple the box  14  to the first plate  16 . The first bracket  12  then is positioned over the one of the upper end and the lower end of an entry door so that the box  14  is positioned on exterior face of the entry door. Should delivery of the package take place when the recipient is not available, the delivery agent inserts the package through the aperture  62 , the first tines  68 , and the second tines  70  into the box  14 . Theft of the package is deterred by the presence of the first tines  68  and the second tines  70 . The recipient can retrieve the package through the opening  80  after unlocking the lock  86 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, 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 an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure 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 disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.