Patent ID: 7095323

Claim:
A mail collection point-of-use comprising: a mail drop unit comprising an opening for receiving customer-deposited mail; an enclosure coupled to the mail drop unit, the enclosure comprising an opening and a door sealing the opening when the door is closed; a mail receptacle positioned inside the enclosure, the mail receptacle accumulating received customer-deposited mail, the receptacle and the opening of the enclosure sized to permit removal of the receptacle from the enclosure through the opening; a positioning structure establishing a bottom portion of the mail receptacle to a first position below a top portion of the mail receptacle when empty, and lowering the bottom portion of the mail receptacle to a second position as a function of the weight of the received customer-deposited mail; a detector positioned inside the enclosure and generating a detection signal upon detection of airborne hazardous material; and an indicator positioned outside the enclosure, coupled to the detector, and generating an indication upon receipt of the detection signal.