Home wall insert mailbox with convenient box transfer features

Abstract

The present invention teaches a residential wall penetrating mailbox with enhanced box handling capability, openable by barcode scanning, and openable from either inside or outside a home. A body which is generally column shaped has a front door which open at the top and hinge near the bottom and which has transfer means extending from the bottom and interior end of the front door into the interior space of the mailbox, said transfer means transferring and moving boxes away from the mailbox into the interior of the home. Thus, a delivery person may access a box from outside the home, while the homeowner may do the same without leaving the safety of the home interior while allowing for multiple boxes to move in the safety of the interior or the home.

Claims

1. A residential mailbox for use with packages, the residential mailbox for mounting in a home wall, the home wall having an exterior face at an exterior of the home, and interior face in an interior of the home, the residential mailbox comprising: a columnar body having a vertical axis and a front and a back; the columnar body mounted into the home wall, with the front passing through the exterior face of the home wall and accessible from the exterior, and with the back passing through the interior face of the home wall and accessible from the interior; the front having a door therein, the door including a front exterior side, a rear interior side, a top edge, a bottom edge, and two opposing side edges extending between the top edge and the bottom edge, the door forming part of the front when in a closed position, the door having at least one hinge at the bottom edge thereof allowing it to move to an open position by swinging outward toward the exterior at the top edge thereof; the door further including a side member extending from each opposing side edge of the door inside of the columnar body toward the interior, and a bottom member extending from the bottom edge of the door inside of the columnar body toward the interior, wherein the side members and the bottom member form a box drawer within the columnar body when the door is in the closed position; transfer means disposed and connected to a top side of the bottom member and interior sides of the side members of the door; and further wherein the transfer means serves to move packages away from the door and into the interior of the home.

2. The residential mailbox of claim 1, further comprising an extension transfer means attached to the transfer means for moving packages further within the interior of the home.

3. The residential mailbox of claim 2, wherein the extension transfer means comprises freely moveable rollers for moving packages further within the interior of the home.

4. The residential mailbox of claim 1, wherein the transfer means comprises freely moveable rollers that move and transfer packages away from the door and into the interior of the home.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The following drawings form part of the present specification and are included to further demonstrate certain aspects of the present invention. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the detailed description of specific embodiments presented herein.

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of the exterior of the mailbox of the present invention showing the front door in an open position with a box inserted by a deliver person (not shown) for delivery into the interior of a home upon closing of the front exterior door.

(3) FIG. 2 is a view of the interior of a mailbox insert according to the present invention showing the front door being closed and also showing the details of the side members for containing a box and a transfer means for transport of a box once delivered.

(4) FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of an extension transfer means according to the present invention including multiple in line rollers.

(5) FIG. 4 is an end view of an extension transfer means according to the present invention showing adjustable legs to be used to connect the extension to the transfer means built into the interior of mailbox according to the present invention.

(6) FIG. 5 is top and side perspective view of an extension to the transfer means according to the present invention ready to be connected to the transfer means built into the interior of a mailbox according to the present invention.

(7) FIG. 6 is a side view of the extension to the transfer means of the present invention showing the transfer extension and adjustable legs.

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the interior of an insert mailbox according to the present invention showing how a box would be delivered in the mailbox and transferred to the interior of the home using the built-in transfer means and extension transfer means according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Glossary

(9) For purposes of this application and claims, the term slightly less than 90 degrees means an angle of 80 to 89.99 degrees.

(10) For purposes of this application and claims, columnar means having the general aspect of a column e.g., being tall and narrow. In the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention, this includes being a generally rectanguloid body oriented with a vertical axis which is longer than the two horizontal axes.

(11) A wall insert mailbox means a mailbox which is not free standing but rather is inserted through the wall of a home so that the front door is on the exterior of the home and the rear door is on the interior of the home (or vice-versa within the claims below). The interior means the inside of the home, while the exterior means outside the home. No claim is made to home interiors nor to home exteriors. The interior face of the wall of the home is that face of the wall which faces the interior, the exterior face obviously faces the exterior. The wall may be solid and still have two faces. No claim is made to walls.

End Glossary

(12) FIG. 1 is a side view of the exterior of the mailbox 1 of the present invention showing the front door 2 in an open position with a box 3 inserted by a deliver person (not shown) for delivery into the interior of a home upon closing of the front exterior door 2 The mailbox or wall insert 1 will protrude slightly through a wall or may be inset into the wall with recesses on one or both sides currently shown. The exterior of home 4 and the interior of the home not shown are obviously defined and separated by the exterior wall 5. The construction of the exterior wall 5, or wall in general, is irrelevant to the invention, as thinner walls may allow more projection on one or both sides, while thicker walls may be penetrated by recesses and the mailbox. Materials are also irrelevant and the wall may be wallboard and stringer construction, solid, brick faced, plaster and lathe, etc.

(13) The wall 5 depicted is rather thick, being almost as wide as the mailbox 1, but this is merely exemplary.

(14) FIG. 2 is a view of the interior of a mailbox 1 insert according to the present invention showing the front door 2 being closed and also showing the details of the side members 6 for containing a box and a transfer means 7 for transport of a box once delivered. The mailbox 1 is also set into the interior wall 8 of the home. As noted, the side members 6 are affixed to the side and bottom of the front door 2 and function to guide a box insert into the mailbox 1 to the bottom of the unit 9 where the transfer means 7 is deployed and attached to the side members 6. As provided in FIG. 2, the transfer means is comprised of multiple rollers 10 that are freely moveable and aligned to efficiently transfer and move any box or package inserted into the mailbox 1 into the interior 11 of the home where they can be securely maintained until retrieved by the occupant.

(15) FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of an extension transfer means 12 according to the present invention The transfer means 12 in this embodiment is comprised of side rails 14 containing multiple in line rollers 13 comprised of multiple individual rollers 15 aligned in parallel. The in-line rollers 13 are freely moveable and aligned to efficiently transfer and move any box or package inserted into the mailbox 1 into the interior 11 of the home where they can be securely maintained until retrieved by the occupant. It is understood that the transfer means can be accomplished by any means that moves a box inside and away from the mailbox 1, including for example movable panels sliding in unison to move a package away from the mailbox 1 and into the interior 8 of the home. Other ready means will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and can be simply mechanical or could be powered with motors and electric current be it built in or battery powered.

(16) FIG. 4 is an end view of an extension transfer means according to the present invention showing adjustable legs 16 with adjustable elements 17 to be used to place and optionally connect the extension to the transfer means 7 built into the interior of mailbox 1 according to the present invention. The adjustable legs 16 allow for exact alignment and interconnect between the built-in transfer means and the extension transfer means 12, including the side rails 14 and in-line rollers 13.

(17) FIG. 5 is top and side perspective view of an extension to the transfer means 12 according to the present invention ready to be connected to the transfer means 7 built into the interior of a mailbox 1 according to the present invention. The transfer means 12 in this embodiment is comprised of side rails 14 containing multiple in line rollers 13 comprised of multiple individual rollers 15 aligned in parallel. The extension transfer means 12 is aligned with the built-in transfer means 7 of the mailbox 1 using the adjustable legs 16 with adjustable elements 17.

(18) FIG. 6 is a side view of the extension to the transfer means the extensions transfer means 12 in this embodiment is comprised of side rails 14 containing multiple in line rollers 13 comprised of multiple individual rollers 15 aligned in parallel 12 of the present invention showing the transfer extension 12 and adjustable legs 16 with adjustable elements 17. As shown herein, there are ends of the roller are shown aligned by their ends 18 contained within the side rails 14 of the extension transfer means 12.

(19) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the interior of an insert mailbox 1 according to the present invention showing how a box 3 would be delivered in the mailbox 1 and transferred to the interior 11 of the home using the built-in transfer means 7 and extension transfer means 12 according to the present invention. As noted, any box 3 deposited into the mailbox 1 by a delivery person or otherwise will move from the built-in transfer means 7 onto the extension transfer means 12 moving a box 3 into the interior of the home 8. Thus, the mailbox 1 of the present invention allows for very large deliveries of multiple boxes 3 and other packages into the interior 8 of a home or garage over any defined period of time.

(20) Throughout this application, various publications, patents, and/or patent applications are referenced in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains. The disclosures of these publications, patents, and/or patent applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties, and for the subject matter for which they are specifically referenced in the same or a prior sentence, to the same extent as if each independent publication, patent, and/or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

(21) It will be understood that references to curbside mailboxes, bonnets, tops, items on the side and so forth are for the curbside embodiment.

(22) Methods and components are described herein. However, methods and components similar or equivalent to those described herein can be also used to obtain variations of the present invention. The materials, articles, components, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

(23) Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above, other embodiments are possible and the inventors intend these to be encompassed within this specification. The specification describes specific examples to accomplish a more general goal that may be accomplished in another way. This disclosure is intended to be exemplary, and the claims are intended to cover any modification or alternative which might be predictable to a person having ordinary skill in the art.

(24) Having illustrated and described the principles of the invention in exemplary embodiments, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the described examples are illustrative embodiments and can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. Techniques from any of the examples can be incorporated into one or more of any of the other examples. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.