Mailbox system having a removable mailbox

Abstract

Described and shown is a Mailbox system (1) for receiving at least one item of mail. In order to simplify the delivery and/or handing over of items of mail the mailbox system (1) can comprise a mailbox (2) and a mailbox holder (3), wherein the mailbox (2) has an interior for receiving the at least one item of mail and at least one entry (4) to the interior for inserting the at least one item of mail into the interior, and wherein the mailbox (2) is detachably held by the mailbox holder (3).

Claims

1. A mailbox system for receiving at least one item of mail, comprising a mailbox and a mailbox holder, wherein the mailbox has an interior for receiving the at least one item of mail and at least one entry to the interior for inserting the at least one item of mail into the interior, and wherein the mailbox is detachably held by the mailbox holder thereby allowing separation therefrom, wherein the mailbox has at least one closure element, wherein the at least one closure element can be moved from a position closing off the at least one entry to the interior into a position unblocking the at least one entry to the interior and back again while the mailbox is detachably held by the mailbox holder, wherein the at least one closure element is accessible from outside the mailbox holder and is provided at a front side of the mailbox while the mailbox is detachably held by the mailbox holder, wherein the mailbox on opposing outer sides and the mail box holder on opposing inner sides of side walls each have corresponding holding units, wherein the holding units of the mailbox holder grip under the holding units of the mailbox, wherein the holding units of the mailbox are shaped in the form of a pin and/or the holding units of the mailbox holder are shaped to the form of a rail, and wherein the free ends of the holding units of the mailbox are in each case spaced at least 2.5 cm apart from the adjacent outer sides of the mailbox.

2. The mailbox system according to claim 1, wherein the holding units of the mailbox are held by the holding units of the mailbox holder at least in the direction of the force of gravity in a form-fit and/or force-fit manner, and/or in that the mail box is suspended in and/or inserted into the mailbox holder.

3. The mailbox system according to claim 1, wherein the mailbox holder has two parallel side walls and a roof element connecting the side walls.

4. The mailbox system according to claim 1, wherein the holding units of the mailbox between the corresponding holding devices of the mailbox holder and the outer sides of the mailbox at least in sections have a circular cross-section, and/or in that the holding units of the mailbox in the area of the holding devices of the mailbox holder have an evenly formed lower area.

5. The mailbox system according to any claim 1, wherein the at least one closure element is in the form of a flap, a slide and/or a door, and the at least one closure element can be locked in the position closing off the interior by means of a locking device which is to be locked and/or unlocked mechanically, electrically and/or magnetically.

6. The mailbox system according to claim 1, wherein the mailbox system is situated on a property and at most 5 m from a property boundary bordering on a street.

7. Use of the mailbox system according to claim 1, for inserting and/or removing the at least one item of mail.

8. A method for inserting the at least one item of mail into the interior of the mailbox and/or for removing the at least one item of mail from the interior of the mailbox of the mailbox system according to claim 1, in which the mailbox is separated from the mailbox holder, in which the at least one item of mail is inserted into the interior of the mailbox which is separated from the mailbox holder and/or the at least one item of mail is removed from the interior of the mailbox which is separated from the mailbox holder, and in which the mailbox, after the at least one item of mail has been placed into and/or removed from it, is connected to the mailbox holder again.

9. The method according to claim 8, in which at least one of the holding units between an outer side of the mailbox and the respective holding unit of the mailbox holder is gripped by a gripper, and in which the mailbox is subsequently separated by the gripper from the mailbox holder.

10. The method according to claim 8, in which the mailbox is opened before, during or after separation from the mailbox holder and/or is closed before, during or after connection to the mailbox holder.

11. The mailbox system according to claim 1, wherein the mailbox system is situated on a property and at most 2.5 m from a property boundary bordering on a street.

12. The mailbox system according to claim 1, wherein the mailbox system is situated on a property and at most 1 m from a property boundary bordering on a street.

13. The mailbox system according to claim 1, wherein the free ends of the holding units of the mailbox are in each case spaced at least 5 cm apart from the adjacent outer sides of the mailbox.

14. The mailbox system according to claim 1, wherein the holding units of the mailbox holder run horizontally on the opposing inner sides of the sidewalls of the mailbox holder.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of the figures illustrating just one exemplary embodiment.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a mailbox system according to the invention in a plan view from the front.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the mailbox system from FIG. 1 in a lateral sectional view along the plane II-II from FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a method step of the method according to the invention on the basis of the mailbox system from FIG. 1 in a plan view of the mailbox system from the front.

(5) FIG. 4 shows the method step from FIG. 1 in a lateral sectional view along the plane IV-IV from FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) A mailbox system 1 comprising a mailbox 2 and a mailbox holder 3 is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The mailbox 2 serves for receiving at least one item of mail, in particular a letter, a parcel and/or a flyer, for which purpose the mailbox 2 has an interior and an entry 4 to the interior. The entry 4 to the interior in the illustrated and, in this respect, preferred mailbox 2 is designed as an opening which can be closed by means of a closure element 5 in the form of a door connected to the mailbox 2 via hinges 6. Entry to the interior of the mailbox 2 by unauthorised persons is prevented by a locking device 7, by means of which the closure element 5 can be locked on the mailbox 2.

(7) The mailbox 2 in the illustrated and, in this respect, preferred mailbox system 1 is suspended in a mailbox holder 3. The mailbox holder 3 on opposing sides of the mailbox 2 has two side walls 8 which support a roof element 9 arranged over the mailbox 2. Hence, the mailbox holder 3 is U-shaped, wherein, however, the U is inverted. The mailbox holder 3 has rail-like, in particular horizontally running, holding units 11 on the inner sides 10 of the side walls 8, these holding units 11 cooperating with pin-shaped holding units 12 of the mailbox 2 to keep the mailbox 2 in the mailbox holder 3. The holding units 12 of the mailbox 2 are provided on opposing outer sides 13. The holding units 12 of the mailbox have a lower even surface 14, by means of which the holding units 12 rest stably on the holding units 11 of the mailbox holder 3 and thus largely prevent the mailbox 2 from wobbling in the mailbox holder 3. For simplicity, the areas 15 of the holding units 12 of the mailbox 2 cooperating with the holding units 11 of the mailbox holder 3 are formed as rectangular profiles, in particular as quadratic square profiles. The configuration of the holding units 12 of the mailbox 2 also enables the mailbox 2 to be slid into the mailbox holder 3.

(8) Between the holding units 11 of the mailbox holder 3 and the outer sides 13 of the mailbox 2, the pin-shaped holding units 12 of the mailbox 2 have an area 16 which with the illustrated mailbox system, for example, in each case can be 5 cm wide and has a circular cross-section. This allows the mailbox 2 to be gripped by means of a gripper and lifted and/or pulled out of the mailbox holder 3. In addition, the circular cross-section makes it easier to turn the mailbox 2 when it has been taken out of the mailbox holder 3.

(9) A locking device, by means of which the mailbox 2 is secured against it being pulled out and/or lifted out of the mailbox holder 3 unintentionally, is not illustrated. The mailbox 2 can be locked to the mailbox holder 3 by means of the locking device. The locking mechanism can also be released mechanically, electrically or magnetically.

(10) What is also not illustrated is that the illustrated and, in this respect, preferred mailbox 2 has another entry to the interior in the form of an opening on the top side. A closure element in the form of a slide is allocated to the entry on the top side of the mailbox 2. The closure element can be slid back and forth between a position closing off the entry and a position unblocking the entry. If desired, a corresponding closure element could also be dispensed with. In the case of the illustrated and, in this respect, preferred mailbox 2, no locking device is allocated to the closure element on the top side of the mailbox 2. When the mailbox 2 is accommodated in the mailbox holder 3 and locked to the mailbox holder 3, the entry to the interior on the top side of the mailbox 2 is in any case covered by the roof element 9 of the mailbox holder 3, so that access to the interior of the mailbox 2 is prevented. However, when the mailbox 2 has been separated from the mailbox holder 3, the closure element can easily be slid open without first having to unlock the closure element. A locking device for locking the closure element to the mailbox 2 is unnecessary due to the fact that the mailbox 2 is locked to the mailbox holder 3. Consequently, an item of mail can be placed into the mailbox 2 or an item of mail can be removed from the mailbox 2 without any problems. It is also not necessary for the closure element 5 in the form of a door at the front of the mailbox 2 to be opened. The corresponding key for this can therefore be reserved exclusively for the user of the mailbox 2, which provides security against an unauthorised access to the mailbox 2.

(11) By way of example, FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the mailbox 2 being taken out of the mailbox holder 3. A gripper G, which has two essentially parallel arms A for this purpose, is moved into the gap between the outer side 13 of the mailbox 2 and the inner side 10 of the side walls 8 of the mailbox holder 3. The gripper G is moved so far into the gap 17 until the gripper G grips the holding unit 12 of the mailbox 2 shaped like a pin with its front end or until the holding unit 12 engages with a receiving holder N. For this purpose, spring-loaded fingers F are provided on the front ends of the arms A of the gripper G and these spring-loaded fingers F can be displaced in order to insert the holding unit 12 of the mailbox 2 into the receiving holders N of the gripper G. The mailbox 2 can now be pulled out of the mailbox holder 3. The mailbox 2 is supported by a telescopic bar S. A turning device can now act upon the parts of the holding units 12 of the mailbox 2 shaped like a pin which are protruding outwards in respect to the receiving holders N and the turning device can turn the mailbox 2 held by the gripper G, so that an item of mail in the mailbox 2 is tipped out through an upper entry in the form of an opening.

(12) The mailbox 2 is connected to the mailbox holder 3 again in essentially the same way as it was removed from the mailbox holder 3 only in the reverse direction. In addition, separating means T, in the form of tappets, which are allocated to the receiving holders N are used when the mailbox 2 is connected to the mailbox holder 3, in which the mailbox 2 can be simply inserted or suspended. The separating means T are moved out, in order to press the holding units 12 of the mailbox 2 against the fingers F holding the holding units 12 and out of the receiving holders N of the gripper G. The mailbox 2 then rests with its holding units 12, which are now disengaged from the receiving holders N, on the holding units 11 of the mailbox holder 3. The gripper G can then be withdrawn without the mailbox 2 from the gaps 17 between the mailbox 2 and the mailbox holder 3.