Patent Publication Number: US-7905390-B1

Title: Mailbox alert device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a mailbox device for alerting a resident that he/she has received mail, more particularly to a device that raises a flag when mail is delivered. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It can be very helpful to alert residents when their mail is delivered to their homes. The present invention features a mailbox alert device for indicating that mail has been delivered to the mailbox via a flag-raising mechanism. 
     Any feature or combination of features described herein are included within the scope of the present invention provided that the features included in any such combination are not mutually inconsistent as will be apparent from the context, this specification, and the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art. Additional advantages and aspects of the present invention are apparent in the following detailed description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the mailbox alert device of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the mailbox alert device of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the mailbox alert device of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a top cross sectional view of the mailbox alert device of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , the present invention features a mailbox alert device  100  for alerting a resident that mail has arrived in his/her mailbox. The mailbox alert device  100  is for mounting on a mailbox  110 , for example a standard mailbox  110  having a first side  111 , a second side  112 , a top  113 , and a front door  115  with an outer surface  116 . 
     The mailbox alert device  100  comprises a flag pole  120  having a first end  121  and a second end  122 . The flag pole  120  (e.g., second end  122  of flag pole  120 ) is attached to the first side  111  or second side  112  of the mailbox  110  with the first end  121  oriented above the mailbox  110  (e.g., the flag pole  110  is oriented generally vertically). In some embodiments, the second end  122  of the flag pole  120  is attached to the first side  111  of the mailbox  110  via a first attachment means  310  (e.g., nails, bolts, screws, etc). The flag pole  120  is mounted on the mailbox  110  at or near the front door  115  (see  FIG. 1 ). 
     Attached to the flag pole  120  near the first end  121  is a first pulley  210 , and attached to the flag pole  120  near the second end  122  is a second pulley  220 . A cable  230  is wrapped around the first pulley  210  and second pulley  230 . Cables and pulleys are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. The cable  230  is oriented on the first pulley  210  and second pulley  220  such that it has a front portion  231  and a back portion  232 . In some embodiments, the front portion  231  of the cable  230  faces in the direction of the front door  115  of the mailbox  110 . 
     Attached to one position (e.g., a first position) on the cable  230  on the back portion  232  is a weight  235 . Attached to one position (e.g., a first position) on the cable  230  on the front portion  231  is a flag  130 , wherein the flag  130  has a top edge  131  and a bottom edge  132  (see  FIG. 2 ). The flag  130  may be of various sizes, colors, and designs. Attached to the cable  230  at the top edge  131  of the flag  130  is a flag stopper  240 . A tag  418  is disposed on a side edge of the flag  130 . The flat  130  is configured such that the tag  418  can be temporarily closed into the door  115  of the mailbox  110  so as to hold the flat  130  in place (in a down position), and also to help prevent the flag  130  from flapping about during windy conditions. 
     In some embodiments, the flag  130  is removably attached to the cable  230 . The flag  130  can be removed and replaced with a differently designed flag  130 . In some embodiments, the flag  130  comprises one or more grommets  415 , which can allow the flag  130  to be clipped onto to the cable  230 , for example via a first clip  411  and/or a second clip  412 . 
     The cable  230  can move about the first pulley  210  and second pulley  220  such that the flag  130  can move between an up position and a down position. In the up position, the flag  130  is near the first end  121  of the flag pole  120  (see  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ). In the down position, the flag  130  is near the second end  122  of the flag pole  120  (see  FIG. 3 ). The flag  130  is biased in the up position caused by the weight  235  attached to the cable  230  on the back portion  232 . The tab  418  of the flat  130  is secured in the front door  115 , holding the cable  230  in the down position. 
     When the front door  115  is opened (e.g., by a mailman/mailwoman), the tab  418  is released from the front door  115 . This allows the weight  235  to be released downward toward the second end  122  of the flag pole  120  and in turn the flag  130  is raised to the up position. When the flag  130  is in the up position, a resident would be alerted that mail has been delivered to his/her mailbox  110 . 
     The mailbox alert device  100  may be constructed in a variety of sizes. For example, in some embodiments, the flag pole  120  is between about 12 to 18 inches in height as measured from the first end  121  to the second end  122 . In some embodiments, the flag pole  120  is between about 18 to 24 inches in height as measured from the first end  121  to the second end  122 . In some embodiments, the flag pole  120  is more than about 24 inches in height. 
     As used herein, the term “about” refers to plus or minus 10% of the referenced number. For example, an embodiment wherein the flag pole  120  is about 20 inches in height includes a flag pole  120  that is between 18 and 22 inches in height. 
     In an alternative embodiment, a flag release component is disposed on the front door  115  of the mailbox  110 . The flag release component is disposed on the side of the door  115  corresponding to the side of the mailbox  110  that the flag pole  120  is disposed. In some embodiments, the flag release component is attached to the door  115  via a second attachment means. 
     The flag release component may be generally L-shaped having a first half connected to a second half, e.g., at about a 90 degree angle. The first half of the flag release component is for attaching to the door  115  of the mailbox  110 . The second half of the flag release component is for engaging the cable  230 . For example, in some embodiments, a groove is disposed in the second half of the flag release component, wherein the cable  230  is slidably inserted into the groove. The flag  130  can be secured in the down position by placing the flag stopper  240  underneath the flag release component. This prevents the weight  235  from pulling the flag  130  upwardly to the up position. 
     When the front door  115  is opened (e.g., by a mailman/mailwoman), the flag release component (e.g., groove) is pulled away from the flag stopper  240  on the cable  230 . This allows the weight  235  to be released downward toward the second end  122  of the flag pole  120  and in turn the flag  130  is raised to the up position. When the flag  130  is in the up position, a resident would be alerted that mail has been delivered to his/her mailbox  110 . 
     The present invention also features methods of alerting an individual that mail has arrived in a mailbox. For example, in some embodiments, the method comprises obtaining a mailbox alert device of the present invention and attaching the second end of the flag pole to a first side of the mailbox near a front door via a first attachment means (and positioning the first end of the flag pole above the mailbox). The method may further comprise moving the flag to the down position and closing the tab of the flag in the front door to prevent the weight from pulling the flag upwardly to the up position. The method may further comprise opening the front door to insert mail into the mailbox, whereby opening the front door releases the tab from the front door, which allows the weight to fall toward the second end of the flag pole and the flag to move to the up position, when the flag is in the up position it is indicative that mail has arrived in the mailbox. 
     The following the disclosures of the following U.S. Patents are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein: U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,787; U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,283; U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,386; U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,839; U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,357. 
     Various modifications of the invention, in addition to those described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications are also intended to fail within the scope of the appended claims. Each reference cited in the present application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     Although there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made thereto which do not exceed the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the invention is only to be limited by the following claims.