BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Mail boxes are generally used as a means to receive objects such as letters, parcels, courier packages, newspapers or the like delivered by a delivery service.

However, existing boxes are not always appropriate in certain circumstances, for example in commercial, industrial or rural settings. Often in these situations a secure box in which the contents are easily accessed by authorised parties is required.

It is also often desired to have an indicator means for alerting the user or delivery personnel that an object is available for collection. There are existing systems that have indicators but their complicated mechanisms are not always suitable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a secure mail holding box that is easily accessed by authorised parties or to provide an alternative to existing boxes.

It is an alternative object to provide a mail holding box which has an easily operated indicator.

Accordingly in one aspect the invention may be said to consist in a holding box for delivery and collection of objects including: an inner member for containing objects which are delivered to the box, an outer member in which the inner member is at least partly housed, and a lock for securing the inner member inside the outer member, wherein the inner member is attached to the outer member by a pivot joint enabling the inner member to be moved from the outer member to open the box and allow access to the objects.

In another aspect the invention may be said to consist in a holding box for delivery and collection of objects including: an inner member for containing objects which are delivered to the box, an outer member in which the inner member is at least partly housed, a lock for securing the inner member inside the outer member, and at least one object indicator which has an object absent state and an object present state, wherein an indicator in the object present state is urged into an object absent state when the inner member is moved from the outer member.

In yet another aspect the invention may be said to consist in a holding box for delivery and collection of objects including: an inner member for containing objects which are delivered to the box, an outer member in which the inner member is at least partly housed, and a lock for securing the inner member inside the outer member, wherein the lock includes a latch member which extends along a substantial part of the length of one edge of the inner member when the box is closed.

In a further aspect the invention may be said to consist in a method of operating a holding box for delivery and collection of objects including: providing an inner member which is at least partly housed in an outer member, providing an indicator on the box having visually distinct states which are used to indicate whether or not an object is present in the inner member, moving the inner member from the outer member to enable access to objects held in the inner member, and urging an indicator in an object present state into an object absent state by moving the inner member from the outer member.

The invention may further be said to consist in any alternative combination of parts or features here mentioned or shown in the accompanying drawings. Known equivalents of these parts or features which are not expressly set out are nevertheless deemed to be included.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings of which: Figure 1 is a perspective of a holding box when open,

Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the holding box, Figure 3 is a back perspective view of the holding box, Figure 4 is an exploded view of a inner member, pivot joint, and indicators of the box, Figure 5 is an exploded view of an outer member and lock of the box, and Figure 6 shows a locked holding box with an indicator in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings it will be appreciated that mail holding boxes which have a pivotable opening mechanism, a full box length lock and object indicators according to the invention may be implemented in various forms. The following embodiments are given by way of example only.

Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a box 100 in an open state assembled from a inner member 101 and an outer member 102 where the inner member 101 has been moved out of an outer member 102 to expose the inside of the inner member 101. The inner member 101 is preferably a container which has an open side 105 for enabling objects to be placed into or taken out of the inner member 101. The inner member 101 may have one or more shelves or divider trays 106 for placement of objects. The outer member 102 has a cover side 104 which includes two partly cylindrical edge portions 107,108 and an opening through which a barrel portion 109 of a lock unit 513 protrudes. The cover side 104 of the outer member 102 is proportioned such that it covers the open side 105 of the inner member 101 when the box 100 is in the closed state.

Figures 2 and 3 show a preferred embodiment of the mail holding box 100 in a closed state. The inner member 101 is at least partially housed by the outer member 102, the assembly forming a closure which can securely hold objects such as letters, parcels and newspapers.

The inner member 101 preferably is attached to the outer member 102 by a pivot joint located towards one end of the box 100. The inner member 101 can be moved into or out of the outer member 102 by rotation about the pivot joint.

The assembled box 100 may also have one or more indicators 201,202 which preferably are rotatable or slidable panels which can be moved or positioned into one of two states. A first or object absent state indicates that the box 100 does not contain any objects and a second or object present state indicates that the box 100 contains one or more objects. The object absent state may be represented by an indicator positioned such that it is hidden from view, while the object present state may be represented by an indicator positioned so that it is visible.

The box 100 preferably has an indicator for each party which uses the box. For example, the box may have two indicators 201,202 one of which can be used to indicate whether an object is present for collection by a user and the other being used to indicate whether an object is present for collection by a box service organisation. Each indicator used may be a different colour to allow each party using the box 100 to easily identify the indicator relevant to them.

Figure 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the inner member 101, pivot joint and indicators 201,202. The indicators 201,202 are preferably mounted, using a pivot joint, towards one end of the inner member 101. In one possible embodiment the pivot joint is located on the inner member 101 at the opposite end to the open side 105. The indicators 201,202 can be in the form of partly cylindrical panels which sit in a recessed contour 405 on the inner member 101. The indicators 201,202 are able to partially rotate about the pivot joint independently of each other so that they can be moved to different positions representing different object states. Preferably any indicator rotated so that it is positioned substantially in the recessed contour 405 will represent an object present state, and any indicator rotated so that it is substantially retracted into a frame indicator end 505 contained in the outer member 102 will represent an object absent state.

The indicators 201,202 may be moved manually by an operator into any of the object states. Rotation of the inner member 101 about the pivot joint will apply a torque to any indicator which is substantially positioned in the recessed contour 405 so that the indicator will rotate and thus retract into the frame indicator end 505 of the outer member 102. By this means any indicators 201,202 in an object present state can be automatically reset into an object absent state when the box 100 is opened.

The pivot joint which attaches the indicators 201,202 to the inner member 101 also attaches the inner member 101 to the outer member 102. The pivot joint has top 404a and bottom 404b portions each of which is constructed from a pivot bolt 406a, 406b, a bin bush 407a, 407b and a hinge bush 408a, 408b. Indicators 201,202 include a pivot arm 402a, 402b for attachment to the pivot joint.

The top portion 404a of the pivot joint is assembled such that the bin bush 407a is placed on the pivot bolt 406a and the combined assembly is placed through a pivot opening 40 la located in the top side of the inner member 101 with the pivot bolt 406a head being disposed on the inside of the inner member 101. The top indicator 201 is attached to the pivot joint on the outside of the inner member 101 by placing a pivot bolt opening 403a contained in the pivot arm 402a of the top indicator 201 over the shaft of the pivot bolt 406a. The pivot arm 402a is then located in a pivot recess 409a contained on the top side of the inner member 101. The pivot recess 409a is fashioned to enable the pivot arm 402a to at least partially rotate about the pivot joint axis. The hinge bush 408a is placed over the pivot bolt 406a shaft on the outside of the inner member 101 and the hinge bush 408a is located in the pivot recess 409a. Assembly of the bottom portion 404b of the pivot joint is performed in a similar manner to the top portion 404a.

The inner member 101 is placed inside the outer member 102 such that the top hinge bush 408a and bottom hinge bush 408b locate in top 51 la and bottom 51 lob pivot recesses contained on the top and bottom sides respectively of the outer member 102.

This secures the inner member 101 inside the outer member 102 while still enabling the inner member 101 to rotate about the vertical pivot joint axis.

The inner member 101 can have one or more movable shelves or divider trays 106 which separate the inner member 101 into sections. This enables for example outgoing packages to be separated from incoming packages. The tray dividers 106 preferably are held in position by ridges or contours disposed on the wall of the inner member, and can slide into and out of the inner member to enable them to be removed. The dividers may be placed at different heights in the inner member 101 so as to alter the size of each section.

The inner member 101 and tray divider 106 may also contain grooves or slots 400 to allow for drainage of water.

Figure 5 shows a preferred embodiment of the lock 500 and outer member 102. The outer member 102 includes a cover side 104, a top side, a bottom side, mounting flange 506 and a frame indicator end 505. The inner member 101 can be moved into and out of the outer member 102 through the front of the outer member 102 to form closed and open states respectively for the holding box 100. The inner member 101 is moved into the outer member 102 by way of rotation about the pivot joint. In the closed state the inner member 101 abuts against the mounting flange 506, the combined sides of the inner member 101 and the cover side 104 of the outer member 102 forming a closure.

Preferably the assembled box 100 includes a lock 500 for securing the inner member 101 inside the outer member 102. The lock 500 has a lock extrusion or latch member 501 which preferably extends along a substantial part of the length of one edge of the inner member 101 when the box is in the closed state.

The lock 500 is assembled from a lock extrusion or latch member 501 a top 507a and bottom 507b tension pin, a top 508a and bottom 508b locking bush, a top 509a and bottom 509b locating desk, a lock unit 513, and a lock faring 510.

The latch member 501 is preferably at least partially cylindrical and has the two tension pins 507a, 507b disposed in either end of the latch member 501 each of which are inserted into a locking bush 508a, 508b and a locating desk 509a, 509b. The assembly is housed in the front edge portion 107 and the latch member 501 can rotate at least partially about the tension pins'507a, 507b vertical axis. The barrel portion 109 of the lock unit 513 is inserted through the lock faring 507 and the opening in the cover side 104 so that the keyhole of the lock unit 513 is externally accessible.

The box 100 is locked by moving or rotating the inner member 101 into the outer member 102 to form a closed state and then activating the lock unit 513 with a key device. Activating the lock unit 513 causes the latch member 501 to rotate out of the front edge portion 107 so that the latch member 501 can engage along one edge of the inner member 101 thus securing the inner member 101 to the outer member 102.

When the lock unit 513 is unlocked with a key device, the latch member 501 retracts back into the front edge portion 107 enabling the inner member 101 to be moved out of the outer member 102. In one possible embodiment a bin push spring 512 is located at the back of the outer member 102. In the locked state the inner member 101 is held against the spring 512 by the latch member 501 such that the spring 512 is in a compressed state. When the box 100 is unlocked, the biasing force of the spring pushes the inner member 101 out of the outer member 102, thus automatically moving the box 100 into an open state.

Preferably the box 100 is attached to a wall or mounting stand using the mounting flange 506.

Figure 6 shows a locked holding box 100 with two indicators 201,202. The latch 501 is engaged with one edge of the inner member 101. By way of example figure 6 shows one indicator 201 pivoted so that it substantially sits in the recessed contour 405 of the inner member 101 to represent that an object is present for collection by the user, and the other indicator 202 is retracted into the frame indicator end 505 of the outer member 102 to represent that no object is present for collection by the box service organisation. It will be appreciated that this is only one configuration, there may be more than two indicators and the indicators used may be positioned in any combination of the two object states.

In a preferred method of using the holding box 100, one or more objects are placed in a box 100 in an open state by a first box user. The box 100 is then closed by moving the inner member 101 into the outer member 102 and locked by turning a key in the barrel 109 thus engaging the latch 501 along one edge of inner member 101. An appropriate indicator is manually moved to an object present state by the first user. A second box user viewing the box 100 will be alerted to the presence of an object in the box 100 by sighting the appropriate indicator positioned in an object present state. The second user can then unlock the box 100 using a key or other lock opening device and open the box 100. The act of opening the box 100 will position any indicator in the object present state into the object absent state. The second user can then remove the object or objects contained in the inner member 101 and if desired put one or more other objects in the inner member 101. The box 100 is then closed and locked. The appropriate indicator can then be manually put into an object present state if required.