Patent Abstract:
A mailbox with a slidable tray to withdraw the contents therein and a solar powered illuminable, configurable display to enhance visibility of the dwelling number after nightfall.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to mailboxes and, more specifically, to a mailbox with a sliding interior drawer to provide improved access to the contents contained therein and an illuminable exterior display that is configurable to conform to the number of the respective dwelling. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     There are other container boxes designed for storing mail. While these mailboxes may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a mailbox having an interiorly disposed sliding tray. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a mailbox wherein said interiorly disposed sliding drawer is hingedly connected to the front access drawer. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mailbox whereupon opening and pulling on said access door withdraws said sliding tray therefrom. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mailbox having an exterior display that is configurable to conform to the address of its respective dwelling. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide a mailbox wherein said configurable display is illuminable. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a mailbox having an illuminable configurable display that is powered by a solar cell disposed on the top portion thereof. 
     Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
     The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a mailbox with a slidable tray to withdraw the contents therein and a solar powered illuminable, configurable display to enhance visibility of the dwelling number after nightfall. 
     The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 
     The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an illustrative view of the present invention in use. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the present invention with the sliding tray extended. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the present invention with the sliding tray extended. 
         FIG. 6  is a detailed perspective view of the configurable display. 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of the illuminable elements. 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the transparent placement template. 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of an alternate configuration of the circuit of the illuminable display. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCED NUMERALS 
     Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the Solar Extendable Tray Mailbox of the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures.
           10  Solar Extendable Tray Mailbox of the present invention     12  housing     14  sliding tray     16  hinge     18  access door     20  user     22  side wall of  14       24  rear wall of  14       26  front walls of  14       28  illuminable display     30  solar cell     32  flag     34  latch     36  display elements     38  tinted illuminating plate     40  transparent placement template     42  opaque placement template     44  rechargeable battery     46  light sensor     48  switch       

     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention (and several variations of that embodiment). This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments; practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For definition of the complete scope of the invention, the reader is directed to appended claims. 
       FIG. 1  is an illustrative view of the present invention  10  in use. Shown is the present invention  10  being a mail box housing  12  having a sliding tray  14  that is hinged  16  to the access door  18  to allow the user  20  to pull out the contents of the mailbox into plain view for easy access. The sliding tray  14  has side walls  22 , a rear wall  24  and front walls  26  depending therefrom. A pair of opposing illuminable displays  28  that are powered by a solar cell  30  are also provided. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the present invention  10 . Shown is the mailbox housing  12  with the access door  18  closed with a latch  34  and the illuminable display  28  and its respective solar cell  30  along with a flag  32  to announce that contents are stored therein. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the present invention  10  with the sliding tray extended. Shown is the present invention  10  being a mail box housing  12  having a sliding tray  14  that is hinged  16  to the access door  18  to allow the user to pull out the contents of the mailbox into plain view for easy access. The sliding tray  14  has side walls  22 , a rear wall  24  and front walls  26  depending therefrom. A pair of opposing illuminable displays  28  that are powered by a solar cell  30  are also provided along with a latch  34  to secure the access door  18  in the closed position and a pivotable flag  32 . 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the present invention  10 . Shown is the housing  12  with the access door  18  secured in the secured in the closed position by the latching mechanism  34  and the illuminable display  28  powered by a solar cell  30 . 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the present invention  10  with the sliding tray  14  extended. Shown is the present invention&#39;s sliding tray  14  that is attached to the access door  18 , opened and slid out to allow the user to pull out the contents of the mailbox housing  12  into plain view before retrieving them. Also shown is the illuminable display  28  and the solar cell  30 . 
       FIG. 6  is a detailed perspective view of the configurable display  28 . Shown is the display of the present invention  10 . The display  28  of the present invention  10  is composed in one of two different arrangements whereby display elements  36  are placed upon the display panel in an arrangement to define the numbers. Once the display elements  36  are arranged a back light is applied and powered via a solar cell in order to illuminate the chosen display. 
       FIG. 7  is a front view of the illuminable display  28  elements. Shown are the display elements of the present invention composed tinted illuminating template  38 , transparent placement template  40 , opaque placement template  42  and display elements  36  that are placed together to form a customized display. 
       FIG. 8  is a front view of the transparent placement template  40 . Shown is the display elements  36  of the present invention  10  assembled into a 5 number sequence. Once the display is customized it is then inserted into the display area where then it is illuminated via a solar cell. 
       FIG. 9  is a block diagram of an alternate configuration of the power source for the illuminable display  28 . The solar cell  30  provides a charge to at least one rechargeable battery  44  and the illuminating plate  38  is energized by a switch  48  in communication with a light sensor  46  when the ambient light reaches a predetermined minimum. 
     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. 
     While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0