TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to display devices for use with mailboxes.

BACKGROUND

In many countries mailboxes can be found singly outside premises and dwellings, or grouped together outside buildings or in the entrance halls/foyers of residences and business premises where multiple occupancies exist under the same roof. Grouped mailboxes are also found in Post Offices where people have a P.O Box address.

Most of these mailboxes are made of sheet steel, more decorative models being of cast iron. In certain countries, e.g. France, the postman/woman carries a master key for all mailboxes. This allows the person who delivers the post to unlock the door of the mailbox and place items inside the box which otherwise would be too large to pass through the mailbox slot. Some postal services also offer the facility to collect mail from premises as well as deliver. Certain mailbox models have two doors, one at each end of the mailbox, and this model is sometimes placed into walls where the occupant of the premises can open the mailbox from within their property. The door that opens into the property does not have a nameplate facility, just a locking device.

In some countries it is obligatory to display a name on a mailbox otherwise the postal service cannot guarantee delivery. Nevertheless, many mailboxes do not carry the name of the householder or occupants of the premises, which makes it difficult to identify the recipient of mail to be delivered. Over 50% of mailboxes in semi-rural areas either have no name on the mailbox, or have names which are only partially visible. Postal workers do not have authority to write names on mailboxes. The postman/woman therefore has to enquire from neighbours where a certain person resides, which wastes time and makes the delivery round longer to complete. And if a vehicle is used for such mail deliveries, which is often the case in semi-rural areas, transport costs increase accordingly. On occasions when the postman/woman cannot find the correct name they may leave mail in someone else's mailbox and hope it reaches its destination.

There are a number of reasons why these mailboxes are not marked appropriately. Some people believe the postman will eventually find out who lives in the house and do not bother, or simply do not wish to be identified. But in many cases the marked name becomes bleached by the sun and totally illegible. Sometimes the removable plastic name holder which is provided with the box becomes damaged, broken, or deteriorates with age, making any name extremely difficult to read. This unsealed name holder is normally exposed to the elements allowing rain to enter. Furthermore, since the paper nameplate is placed next to the metal door, condensation comes into direct contact with the nameplate making the name illegible. Most people are not prepared to buy a new mailbox or a new nameplate which will quickly suffer from the same deficiencies as the old one. Bees and wasps have also been known to enter mailboxes through the slots left by missing nameplates, and a number of people have been stung as a result.

Studies have shown that a typical household may receive about 45 kg of junk mail each year (i.e. unwanted material which is delivered to large numbers of recipients). This wastes natural resources and increases the volume of waste material which is sent to landfill.

Due to the fact that there is no fixed delivery time for mail, and all mail is not necessarily delivered by the same agency, the receiver of mail is never quite sure whether mail has been delivered. Many householders look through their mailbox flap in an attempt to see if there is any mail in the box, but the interior of the mailbox is extremely dark, and the chances of seeing a letter at the bottom of the box are slim. For those who live in larger towns and cities it has become almost a habit that one of the first actions people do when returning from work is to take out their key and unlock the mailbox to check whether they have any mail. This is time consuming and unnecessary when the mailbox is empty. Furthermore, members of the public living in small towns and rural locations do not keep the mailbox key on their person and they have to return to the house and re-visit their mailbox in order to check whether they have mail. Many people, both young and old, have to descend staircases, leave the warmth of their houses, and cross their gardens to open their mailboxes only to find that no mail has been delivered. This is a great inconvenience particularly in the colder wetter months of the year, and especially for the elderly.

US 5865368 discloses a North American style mailbox having a name and address plate 226 mounted on the upper surface of the mailbox. A mail delivery flag 222 is mounted on one side of the mailbox to signal when mail has been delivered, and an outgoing mail flag 92 may be mounted on the opposite side to signal when mail is waiting for collection.

FR 2334326 Al discloses a multi-compartment mailbox of the kind sometimes seen at an apartment block. Each compartment has a lockable door 3 with a delivery slot 5 and an identifier 4 which may carry an identification letter. Each door can be released by inserting a key into a side console 6 using a key hole associated with a name plate 8 that identifies the door by means of its identification letter.

The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive yet simple and compact adaptation to a mailbox which takes account of the shortcomings discussed above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes a display device for use with a mailbox, which includes a generally planar shell having fixing means and a front wall which includes a display area for displaying a name, house number, letter or other recipient identifier,

characterised in that

the front wall includes:

- a mail indicator including a slider which is capable of being moved to different positions to signal the delivery of mail; and

- a preference indicator for signalling whether or not junk mail is wanted.

The invention includes a display device for use with a mailbox, which includes a slider provided with a knob or other projection by which the slider can be manually moved.

The invention includes a display device for use with a mailbox, having a display area which includes a removable display plate which can be slid in and out of the display area.

The invention includes a display device for use with a mailbox, which includes a display area provided with a removable transparent cover.

The invention includes a display device for use with a mailbox, which includes a backplate which carries fixing means.

The invention includes a display device for use with a mailbox, which includes a display area which is spaced from a backplate. The invention includes a display device for use with a mailbox, which includes fixing means comprising spaced rigid elements and connecting means for joining the spaced elements together. The connecting means may be. The rigid elements may comprise studs. The connecting means may comprise an apertured connecting element. The connecting element may be held on the studs by respective fasteners engaged with the studs.

The invention includes a display device for use with a mailbox, which includes a flexible element or a pair of orthogonal flexible elements. The or each flexible element may be removably threaded through a retainer on a backplate. The or each flexible element may carry areas of hook and loop material.

The invention includes a display device for use with a mailbox, which includes a generally planar shell having fixing means and a front wall which includes a display area for displaying a name, house number, letter or other recipient identifier,

characterised in that

the planar shell includes a front wall and a back wall which are spaced apart and joined by a peripheral wall, the display area is provided by a recessed area of the front wall and has a transparent cover, and the front wall includes:

- a mail indicator window including a slider which is contained within the shell and is capable of being slidably moved to different positions in and out of the window to signal the delivery of mail; and

- a preference indicator for signalling whether or not junk mail is wanted. The display device may be fixed to a mailbox.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general view of a common form of mailbox which can be provided with a display device in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of a first form of the display device showing one configuration of the device;

Figure 3 is a general rear view of the display device;

Figure 4 is another front view showing a modification to the first display device;

Figure 5 is a front view of a second form of the display device;

Figure 6 is a font view of a third form of the display device;

Figure 7 is a general rear view of the first display device showing a further modification; and

Figure 8 is a general rear view of the first display device showing a different modification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, the mailbox 1 includes a metal housing 2 which may be mounted on a post or wall or set into a wall, for example. The mailbox has a pressed metal door 3 which is attached to the housing 2 by hinges 4 and 5. In many mailboxes the metal pin that acts as a hinge can be easily removed and is held in place with a small plastic bung. Once removed the pin can be pulled out releasing the door. The door is also provided with a key-operated lock 6 which allows the door to be locked shut to secure the contents of the box. A slot 7 at the top of the door 3 allows mail to be placed in the box by a postal delivery service, and for weather protection the slot may be covered by a flap 8 which is hinged to the door at its top edge 9. The door 3 is provided with an area 10 to receive a nameplate such as paper strip with a name written upon it. Weather protection is normally provided by a transparent cover (not shown) which can be fixed over the nameplate by releasable engagement with one or more fixing apertures. In this case two vertical slot apertures 11 and 12 and two longer horizontal slot apertures 13 and 14 are provided in a rectangular configuration. Many different kinds of mailbox exist. For example, in some mailboxes the door may be hinged at the bottom and the nameplate cover may be in a different position (e.g. in the bottom part of the door), but the dimensions and spacing of the vertical slot apertures 11 and 12 have been found to be substantially the same in the majority of common mailbox types. A small number of mailboxes have a single rectangular aperture, or no apertures at all.

In accordance with the invention, the mailbox is provided with a display device 30, a first example of which is shown in Fig.s 2 and 3. The device comprises a moulded plastic shell with a rectangular backplate 31 having a pair of integrally moulded hooks 32 and 33 formed at opposite ends to enable the device to be mounted on the door 3 by reception in the vertical apertures 11 and 12. The hooks can sometimes be prized out of the apertures, so to prevent this from occurring a pair of straps 34 and 35 may be inserted through slots 32a and 33a in the respective hooks, as shown. These straps may be overlapped and joined together inside the box using hook and loop fastening or other means. The straps can only be released, allowing the display device to be removed from the door, by unlocking the door to gain assess to the straps. The outwardly- directed hooks 32 and 33 could be used to fix the device to mailboxes having a single rectangular aperture provided the hooks are configured to engage opposite sides of the aperture. In the small number of mailboxes which have no pre-existing apertures, or in newly constructed mailboxes, the backplate may be bonded to a convenient place on the front of the mailbox using a suitable adhesive.

The backplate 31 is surrounded by a continuous peripheral wall 36 which joins the backplate to a front wall 130 and spaces the front wall from the backplate. The front wall carries a recessed display panel 37 which is located to one side of an internal dividing wall 38. The recessed panel 37 allows the name of a mail recipient to be marked directly on the panel or marked on a paper strip which is then applied to the panel. Instead of, or in addition to, the name of an individual or business recipient, a house or flat number or any other recipient identifier may be applied to the display panel. A snap-in transparent cover 39 may be clipped or otherwise affixed onto the display panel covering the name. Since there is an air space within the device between the display panel 37 and the backplate 31 which is in contact with the metal door there is considerably less risk of humidity and condensation causing deterioration of the name marking. However, should rainwater or condensation enter the space behind the panel 37, drainage holes 132 are provided in the bottom section of the peripheral wall 36.

In a modified form of display panel which is shown in Fig. 4 the name or other identifier can be carried by a display plate 137 which slides into an opening in the peripheral wall 36. The display plate may again be protected by a transparent cover 39 snapped into the front wall 130.

Returning to Fig.s 2 and 3, on the opposite side of the internal dividing wall 38 the front wall 130 incorporates a window 41 through which an area of the backplate 31 is visible. The internal dividing wall 38 prevents any rainwater which passes through the window 41 from reaching the display panel 37, and a further drainage hole 132 in the bottom wall 36 ensures that the water does not collect inside the shell. An opaque slider 43 is mounted between the front wall 130 and the backplate 31. By means of a projecting pusher knob 44, the slider can be moved into the window 41 or slid behind the front wall 130 to reveal the backplate. The window 41 can be used as a mail delivery indicator displaying two different signs to indicate whether or not mail has been delivered. For example, the backplate may carry a symbol, graphic or textual information to indicate that mail has been delivered whilst the slider 43 may carry a different symbol, graphic or text indicating that no delivery has taken place. By way of example, the slider 43 may carry a red letter symbol while the backplate carries a green letter symbol. Normally the householder will leave the red symbol showing, but when the postman/woman delivers mail they can move the slider across the window 41 to change the sign to a green symbol which indicates to the recipient that mail is ready for collection. When the mail is collected the recipient moves the slider back again to show that no mail is waiting.

The front wall 130 also includes a recessed panel 40, located beneath the window 41, which acts as a mail preference indicator. The panel 40 may, for example, carry a "stop" symbol, the words "No junk" or other preference sign to indicate that circular letters and general advertising literature are not wanted. The mail preference may be set when the display device is installed by fixing an appropriate sticker to the panel 40.

Other configurations of the display device are possible. For example, the slider 43 may rotate or slide horizontally instead of vertically to display two (or more) different signs. Fig. 5 shows another configuration of the display device in which the slider 43 is operated by a rigid or flexible linkage arm 51 which moves the slider to the delivery position when the flap 8 is raised. A ratchet or one-way clutch system allows the slider to remain in the delivery position when the flap is released. The slider can be manually released and reset when the post is collected. Alternatively, instead of having to manually close/re-set the window 41 the action of turning the key to close the door of the mailbox (by a arm system attached to the closing bar) could reset the window.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 the slider 43 is operated by a linkage arm 52 which moves the slider across when the lock 6 is operated during collection or delivery of post. Again, a ratchet or similar system prevents the cover from returning to the previous position until manually reset.

Fig. 7 shows a modified form of the display device having two orthogonal flexible straps 34, 35 and 134, 135. The straps are threaded through respective slots in a shallow retainer 136 formed on the backplate 31. The ends of each strap may be joined together inside the box using hook and loop fastenings or other means. One of the straps 34, 35 can be inserted through the vertical apertures 11 and 12 (Fig. 1) and the other strap 134, 135 can be inserted through the horizontal apertures 13 and 14. Since the straps can slide through the slots in the retainer 136 they allow the display device to be pulled tightly against the metal door, ensuring a firm and secure fixing. Each of the straps may be used alone with the other strap being removed, or the two straps can be used together for extra security. The ability to remove the straps from the device also facilitates packaging.

An alternative fixing method is shown in Fig. 8, where the backplate 31 is provided with spaced rigid studs 232 and 233. An apertured connecting plate 234 can be placed over the studs and secured by nuts 235 and 236, spring retainers, or the like. This method of attachment can be used with mailboxes having a single nameplate aperture in the door. The two studs can both be inserted through the aperture at opposite ends so that the door is clamped between the backplate 31 and the plate 234.

The display devices can be purchased separately for use with existing mailboxes, but they can also be supplied as standard with new mailboxes. The display devices described above can also be used with through-wall double-door mailboxes, communal mailboxes etc.

The display device in accordance with the invention is multifunctional whilst being very compact and easy to fit to mailboxes. It should however be noted that if a larger display area is required the device could be larger than shown in the drawings whilst still providing the same functions, e.g. to permit the display of multiple names in multi-occupancy accommodation.

The slider for opening and closing the delivery indicator window on the display device could be fitted with a locking system to prevent young children from playing with the slides. The locking device would be unlocked and reset once mail has been collected. Such a locking device could include a press release spring or the like.

Whilst the above description places emphasis on the areas which are believed to be new and addresses specific problems which have been identified, it is intended that the features disclosed herein may be used in any combination which is capable of providing a new and useful advance in the art.