Patent Publication Number: US-11033094-B2

Title: Device for carrying sets of documents and containers of various sizes

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/825,907 filed Mar. 29, 2019 and hereby incorporates by reference in its entirety the contents of that application. This application incorporates by reference in its entirety the contents of U.S. Pat. No. 8,328,056. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention is directed to the document handling device with features that permit the device to support boxes and bags. 
     Description of Related Art 
     When documents are provided to a mail carrier from the United States Postal Service, they are essentially divided into three groups. Direct point sequence bar coded mail (DPS mail) is machine sorted and provided to carriers in presorted bundles for specific addresses. Mail that is not able to be sorted by the sorting machines is hand sorted to the level of individual mail carrier routes and the individual mail carrier must then further sort this mail for specific addresses. Finally, mail carriers must deliver mass mailing literature that is uniformly distributed to each address. Given not only the large volume of mail a typical mail carrier must deliver, but, furthermore, the variety of types of mail in separate bundles and the need to collate the bundles on the fly prior to delivery, it becomes very challenging for a mail carrier to efficiently perform the mail delivery tasks inherent with each route. 
     DPS mail sorting machines have dramatically cut in-office labor costs but have transferred additional duties to the carrier. A device and method is needed to enhance the efficiency of mail distribution for a mail carrier along the mail carrier&#39;s route. 
     In the course of delivering mail over a postal route, a mail carrier typically encounters various animals, of which the most common and most threatening are dogs. Although mail carriers are supplied with an animal repellant in the form of a container with a spray repellant, the container is often knocked loose and lost unbeknownst to the carrier. If the container has not been lost previously during the day, retrieving this container, aiming the spray at the dog, and activating the spray all consume valuable time when the carrier is under attack and requires the carrier to focus more on these actions than on the threatening dog. Additionally, handfuls of mail may be dropped and the satchel may need to be removed for defensive purposes. The satchel may be very heavy and difficult to maneuver and picking up dropped mail is very time consuming. As a result, a device is also needed to make it easier and faster for the mail carrier to activate the repellant spray when under attack or merely threatened with an attack. 
       FIGS. 1-5  represent a prior art device  10  held by a carrier  15 . The device  10  is adapted to be supported between the carrier&#39;s inner forearm and his or her body. 
     The device  10  is used for carrying documents of various sizes in such a manner to permit convenient access to the top most documents and rapid coordinated distribution of the desired documents. The device  10  is comprised of a document support tray  20  for accepting and retaining documents  25  (shown in phantom). The tray  20  has a first end  30  and an opposing second end  32 , a first edge  34  and an opposing second edge  36 , and a top surface  38  and a bottom surface  40 . A longitudinal axis  42  extends along the length of the tray  20  between the first end  30  and the second end  32 . 
     A forearm supporter  50  is also attached to the tray  20 . The forearm supporter  50  is adapted to at least partially engage the forearm of a carrier  15 . The forearm supporter  50  is positioned adjacent to the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20 . Additionally, the tray  20  has a ledge  52  positioned at the first end  30  of the tray  20 . 
     The forearm supporter  50  is mounted to the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20  and, briefly referring to  FIG. 1 , the tray  20  is oriented to receive the forearm of the carrier when the tray&#39;s first end  30  rests against the torso of the carrier. Returning to  FIGS. 2-5 , the forearm supporter  50  may be arcuate with the concave side  54  facing the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20 . As a result of this design when held by a carrier, the natural range of motion of a carrier&#39;s forearm tends to urge the device  10  against the body of the carrier  15 . 
     The carrier may be provided with animal repellant. A typical animal repellant provided to carriers to deter animal attacks is a canister having a spray nozzle so that liquid repellant may be directed from a distance toward an animal. The device  10  may include a repellant holder  60  attached to the tray  20  for holding a repellant container  65  with the spray nozzle  67  of the repellant container extending therefrom. The repellant holder  60  may be in the form of a tube mounted upon the tray  20  and adapted to receive a cylindrical spray repellant container  65  and to direct the container spray away from the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20 . By doing so and once again briefly referring to  FIG. 1 , with the repellant spray directed downwardly from the tray  20 , the carrier may move his or her arm to reorient the tray  20  thereby reorienting the spray nozzle  67  for dispersion in a different direction. The repellant holder  60  may be positioned proximate to the expected location of the fingers of the carrier  15  for easy access to activate the spray repellant. The repellant holder  60  may be mounted to the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20  near the first end  30  of the tray  20 . Additionally, the repellant holder  60  may be oriented in the direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  42  of the tray  20 . 
     It should be appreciated that the relative location of the elements of the device  10  are intended to permit the carrier  15  to blindly pull documents from different locations and to activate the animal repellant without the need to first locate the repellant container visually. 
     The prior art device provides an apparatus whereby the efficiency and the safety of mail carriers may be significantly improved. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A device is provided for carrying sets of documents of various sizes in such a manner to permit convenient access to the topmost documents and rapid, coordinated distribution of the desired documents. The device is adapted to be supported between a carrier&#39;s forearm and his body. The device has a) a document support tray for accepting and retaining documents, wherein the document support tray has first and second ends, first and second edges, and a top and a bottom surface, wherein a longitudinal axis extends between the first end and the second end; b) a forearm supporter attached to the tray, wherein the forearm supporter is adapted to only partially engage the forearm of the carrier, and wherein the forearm supporter is positioned adjacent to the bottom surface of the tray; and c) at least one tine extending along the bottom of the document support tray in a direction from the first end towards the second end of the document support tray. The tine extends beyond and is unsupported beyond the second end of the document support tray to define a cantilevered portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is prior art and illustrates a mail carrier holding one embodiment of the device in accordance with the subject application; 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are prior art and illustrate perspective views of the device illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is prior art and illustrates a top view of the device illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is prior art and illustrates a side view of the device illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is prior art and illustrates a top view similar to  FIG. 4  but further illustrates the tine assembly of the subject invention; 
         FIG. 7A  is side view similar to  FIG. 5  but further illustrates the tine assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 7B  is a side view showing the manner by which the forearm supporter and tine are secured to the T-connection; 
         FIG. 7C  is a perspective side view showing an exploded view of the tine assembly of  FIG. 7B ; 
         FIG. 7D  is a different perspective view showing an exploded view of the tine assembly; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of one tine; 
         FIG. 9  is an embodiment showing two tines; 
         FIG. 10  is an alternate embodiment of part of the tine assembly; and 
         FIG. 11  is an enlargement of a portion of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     For convenience, for like parts of the subject invention and the prior art described in  FIGS. 1-5 , common reference numerals will be used. However, for those features associated with the present invention, numbers in the 200 and 300 series will be utilized with the understanding that there may be some part overlap. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7A  illustrate a tine  205  secured either directly or indirectly to the bottom surface  240  of the document support tray  220 . The forearm supporter  250  and the tine  205  are secured to the document support tray  220 . 
     The forearm supporter  250  may be secured directly to the bottom surface  207  of the tine  205  through adhesive or mechanical fasteners or any other manner known to those skilled in the art. The forearm supporter  250  and the tine  205  may also be secured indirectly to the bottom surface  240  of the document support tray  220  through the T-connection post  221 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , the tine  205  is positioned between the forearm supporter  250  and the bottom surface  240  of the document support tray  220 . The tine  205  illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7A  is also illustrated in perspective in  FIG. 8 , wherein the tine  205  has a first end  210  and a second end  212 . The tine  205  extends along the bottom surface  240  of the document support tray  220  in a direction from the first end  230  towards the second end  232  of the document support tray  220  and along a substantial portion of the document support tray  220 . The time  205  also extends beyond the second end. The tine  205  also extends beyond the second end  232  of the document support tray  220  to define a cantilevered portion. 
       FIGS. 7C and 7D  are exploded views of the tine assembly  200  illustrating a tine  205  with the through hole  214 . The repellant holder  260  ( FIG. 7A ) may be fitted within a first branch  222  of the T-connection post  221  with a second branch  223  with a bore  223 A having internal threads  223 B to accept a threaded plug  224  which extends into the through hole  214  to secure the tine  205  using the T-connection post  221 . However, the threaded plug  224  also extends through a hole  227 ( FIGS. 7C and 7D ) extending through the document support tray  220  to secure the tine  205  to the document support tray  220 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 7A-7D , the forearm supporter  250  may be secured to the first branch  222  of the T-connection post  221  using fasteners  225  such as pop rivets. In the alternative, the forearm supporter  250  may be secured to the bottom surface  207  of the tine  205 . 
     The tine  205  in the assembled condition in  FIG. 7B , for example, is adapted to receive a box  300  mounted upon the tine  205 . The second end  212  of the tine  205  may have a tapered end  213 . The tine  205  may be generally flat. The box  300  includes flaps  305  which may be slightly deformed such that the tapered end  213  of the tine  205  may be inserted within the gap created by the deformation. Essentially, the tine  205  is wedged between the flaps  305  and the core  306  of the box  300 . 
     The tine  205  may also be used to receive and support a bag  320  by inserting the tine  205  through a hole  320 A within the bag  320  or attaching the tine  205  to a clip (not shown) from the bag  320 . 
     In general, there may be an opening within the bag  320  through which the tine  205  may be inserted or, since the tine  205  is cantilevered against the bottom surface  240  of the document support tray  220 , it is possible that the tine  205  may be resiliently deformed such that a portion of the bag  320  may be compressed and held between the tine  205  and the bottom surface  240  of the document support tray  220 . 
     Briefly returning to  FIGS. 6 and 7A , it should further be noted that, the repellant holder  260 , which is the first branch  222  of the T-connection post  221 , is mounted to the bottom side  207  of the tine  205  using the second branch  223  of the T-connection post  221 . 
     Directing attention to  FIG. 8 , for increased structural integrity, the tine  205  may have a wider section  206 A proximate to the first end  210  and a narrower section  206 B proximate to the second end  212 . The tine  205  may also be made of a resilient material to allow deflection. With the intent to secure the tine  205  at the through hole  214  to the document support tray  220 , the tine  205  is essentially cantilevered from the through hole  214  and, therefore, the shape of the tine  205  is intended to absorb bending stresses that may be imparted by the weight of any package or box supported by the tine  205 . It should be appreciated that in one embodiment, the only connection of the tine  205  to the document support tray is at the hole  214 . In this fashion, nearly the entire length of the tine  205  may be used to engage the flaps  305  of a box  300  or an hole  320 A in a bag  320 . 
     What has been discussed so far with respect to  FIG. 8  is a single tine. Directing attention to  FIG. 9 , it is entirely possible for a structure  270  to include two or more tines as illustrated by a first tine  272  and a second tine  274  on a common base  275 . It should be appreciated that while  FIG. 9  illustrates only two tines, it is possible to include additional tines to support additional boxes or packages. The through hole  276  is similar to the through hole  214  in  FIG. 8  and may be secured using the same T-connection post  221  as previously described. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , it is possible for a tine  280  to be secured within a T-connection post  321  similar to T-connection post  221  but with a slot  328  extending through the threaded plug  324  as previously discussed. The size of the slot  328  is adjustable by advancing the threaded plug  324  within the T-connection post  321 . By reducing the size of the slot  328 , the tine  280  may be compressed within the slot  328  of the T-connection post  321  by the threaded plug  324  and thereby secured within the slot  328 . 
     While what has been discussed so far is engagement of a box or a bag through engagement of the tine within the flaps of a box or a hole of the bag, it is also possible to secure a box or a bag to the tine using twine or elastic members wrapped around the box and the tine or the bag and the tine or any combination of engagement by the tine discussed herein. 
     While certain embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying figures and described herein above in detail, other embodiments will be apparent to and readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, it is to be understood that this disclosure contemplates that to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined with one or more features of the other embodiment. Accordingly, the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive.