Patent ID: 7686207

Claim:
A mailbox assembly comprising: a plurality of walls that define an at least partially enclosed space; an access panel attached to at least one of the plurality of walls, wherein the access panel is pivotally attached to the at least one of the plurality of walls so that the access panel can be moved between an open orientation, wherein access to the at least partially enclosed space is provided through an opening having a first width in the at least one of the plurality of walls, and a closed orientation wherein the access panel covers the opening thereby inhibiting access to the at least partially enclosed space; a user actuated lock mechanism engaged with the access panel, wherein the user actuated lock mechanism includes a first member extending through the access panel into the at least partially enclosed space wherein the user actuated lock mechanism is movable by a user between a locked and unlocked configuration; a multi-point latch mechanism positioned in the at least partially enclosed space, wherein the multi-point latch mechanism is rotatable and has plurality of latch members that are rotationally moved between a latched and an unlatched orientation and wherein the multi-point latch mechanism is biased into the unlatched position and wherein user manipulation of the user-actuated lock mechanism results in the user actuated lock mechanism engaging with the multi-point latch mechanism so as to induce the multi-point latch mechanism to move between the latched and unlatched orientation; and at least one receiving member that is coupled to the panel wherein the receiving member defines receiving openings that are spaced along the width of the opening wherein the openings receive the latch members of the multi-point latch mechanism when the multi-point latch mechanism is in the latched orientation to thereby secure the latch members in the openings and the panel in the closed orientation.