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(11) | EP 2 098 141 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Mail deposit box |
| (57) A mailbox of the type used by postal service operators for the temporary storage
of objects related to said services is described. The mailbox is metallic, of a general
quadrangular prismatic shape, and is comprised of a lower body and upper body joined
together through the intermediation of a perimetral arched section, with the help
of welding seams. The lower body includes a pair of supports, in the form of squares,
projected towards the interior from two opposing walls, in diametrically opposed positions,
and includes lower anchorings related to three contiguous walls, destined to fix the
assembly to the ground. The upper body includes a small access door equipped with
a cylinder-free safety lock, internal elements to fix it in the closed position and
anti-warping means.
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OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a mail deposit box that provides new essential characteristics and considerable advantages with respect to similar media known and used in the current state of the art.
[0002] More specifically, the invention proposes the development of a mail deposit box of the type used to deposit postal objects by those in charge of these services, which has been conceived with structural and design characteristics that ensure an easier, faster and cheaper construction than the mailboxes of the current art, together with a considerable increase in the security and operating characteristics offered by this new design. The mailbox of the invention has a configuration that generally adopts an approximately prismatic shape, comprises two clearly differentiated portions, namely, a lower base portion and an upper body portion, and the base portion has been equipped with anchorings that allow the assembly to be quickly and effectively fixed to the ground in the place selected for its installation.
[0003] The field of application of the invention is, obviously, comprised within the industrial sector dedicated to the manufacture and/or installation of mailboxes of the type normally used for postal and similar services.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The existence of multiple mailbox types and models, installed in public thoroughfares and other places of user access and destined to receive postal objects (letters and similar) that are introduced through openings or mouths made at a certain height in the body of the mailbox and which fall directly into reception sacks contained inside the mailbox is known to everyone in general. Although these mailboxes constitute the most usual model installed in a large number of places and positions in cities, shopping centres, etc., there are also other types of mailboxes that are not intended for their use by the public in general, but rather constitute places of deposit destined to provide service to personnel in charge of postal services (postmen/women). These mailboxes, normally referred to as mail deposit boxes, are destined to temporarily store certain postal service-related objects (for example, sacks or other), in such a manner that it is the postmen/women or other postal service personnel who can access their interior, through a small door envisaged for such purpose, in order to retrieve the necessary object in each case.
[0005] Mail deposit boxes constitute an essential aid for postal service personnel, on allowing the temporary storage, as mentioned earlier, of objects used on a daily basis, and keeping them always at the disposal of the personnel on duty when they must be used. The mail deposit boxes known in the current state of the art have perfectly fulfilled the mission for which they were created. However, given the high indices of vandalism observed on a daily basis, and also given the growing need for more secure and operational elements, a mail deposit box design that guarantees the adequate updating of both of the aforementioned characteristics would be convenient.
[0006] This has been the objective of the present invention, essentially destined to the design and development of a mail deposit box that is easy, fast and cheap to build, but conceived in such a manner that its structural parts are reinforced, both in themselves and in the inter-joins that affect them. The aforementioned objective has been fully reached with the mail deposit box that will be the object of description hereinafter, the main characteristics of which are disclosed in the characterising part of claim 1 attached hereto.
[0007] In essence, the mail deposit box proposed by the invention consists of a body with a generally prismatic shape, dimensioned according to the application for which it is intended, made of metal plate of an adequate thickness, basically comprised of two differentiated portions: a lower portion or base and an upper portion or body of the mailbox. The join between both portions is made by means of an arched profile that extends perimetrally throughout the length of the join, with the application of continuous welding seams, the body being topped by a cover also solidarised with the body by means of a continuous welding seam. The body also includes a small door to access the interior, equipped with a safety lock, the interlocking elements in the closing position of which consist of articulated rods disposed along the interior of the door for its anchorage in the upper part and lower part, the door also being internally reinforced with a steel hat section. It has also been envisaged that the door will have a welded section next to the edge opposite that of the hinges, in order to prevent unwanted warping.
[0008] The assembly is fixed to the surface of the ground in the chosen place of installation with the help of three anchoring elements solidarised to the base portion. Additionally, said base portion incorporates side supports in its interior, welded to the inner sides of two opposing walls, said supports being destined to hold up a base capable of receiving and supporting objects. Preferably, the aforementioned basis of support will have a truncated pyramid shape, with a view to providing a reception cavity that guarantees greater stability for the objects deposited inside the mailbox.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] These and other characteristics and advantages of the mail deposit box proposed by the invention, will be better understood from the following detailed description of a form of embodiment, provided only by way of illustrative example and in an unlimitative manner, based on the accompanying drawings:
- Fig. 1
- is a top side view, sectioned lengthwise relative to a middle section, of a mailbox built in accordance with the invention;
- Fig. 2
- illustrates a top side view, rotated 80° with respect to Figure 1, of a mailbox according to the invention; and
- Fig. 3
- shows a bottom plan view of the mailbox, where the anchoring elements can be clearly seen.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED FORM OF EMBODIMENT
[0010] As mentioned in the foregoing, the detailed description of the preferred form of embodiment of the mail deposit box that is the object of the invention, will be carried out below with the help of the attached drawings, wherein the same numerical references are used to designate the same or similar parts. In this regard, referring firstly to Figure 1, we can observe a top plan view, sectioned lengthwise relative to a middle section, of a mail deposit box built according to the invention, the characteristics of which show the concurrence of a lower portion (1) or base, with an upper portion (2) or body of the mailbox. The join between both portions is carried out, as mentioned earlier, with the intermediation of a rounded perimetral section (3) to prevent deposits or accumulations of water or other liquids, with the help of a double welding seam applied to both the exterior and the interior. The general aspect of the mailbox is prismatic with a quadrangular base, crowned by a cover (4) with an arched section and solidarised with the upper edge of the body (2) by means of welding. The body (2) includes a small door (5), adequately dimensioned and folding with respect to one of the side edges by virtue of its association to the body (2) by means of a hinge, above the upper end of which a cover or transverse drip edge (6) extends, having a tilted position, to protect said small door from the rain as mailboxes of this kind are normally installed outdoors. Additionally, the small door (5) includes a safety lock (7) placed next to the edge opposite the folding hinge of the small door, preferably of the cylinder-free type with a spring-free pin displacement system and double bolt, and through which two articulated rods (not represented in the drawings) are acted upon, which are fixed to the lock by means of screws with pressure washers, which are interlocked to hold the edge of the door by its upper part and lower part.
[0011] The lower portion (1) or base of the mailbox includes internal supports materialised in the form of two squares (8) that are solidarised to the inner sides of two opposing walls. These supports are intended to hold up an removable base, extractable (not represented in the drawing), preferably of an inverted truncated pyramid shape, used to hold the objects that are introduced and temporarily stored inside the mailbox.
[0012] On the other hand, and as an additional characteristic, the mailbox has easy fixing means to the ground or other resting surface, constituted by anchorings (9) with orifices for the passage of screws and their threaded application to interlocking blocks. In a preferred form of embodiment, the number of anchoring elements (9) is three, which are distributed successively in relation to three contiguous edges or sides of the lower side or base of the base portion (1), in centred positions, in such a manner that they maintain equivalent distances between them.
[0013] As it will be understood, with a mailbox designed and built with the previously described structural characteristics, a device of great simplicity is provided, but with high levels of operating security given the characteristics of its constituent elements.
[0014] We do not consider it necessary to further extend the content of this description for a person skilled in the art to understand its scope and the advantages derived there from, in addition to carrying out the practical embodiment of its object.
[0015] Notwithstanding the foregoing, and as the description carried out only corresponds to a preferred form of embodiment, it will be understood that, within its essentiality, multiple variations in detail, also protected, may be introduced, which may affect characteristics of the shape, size or manufacturing materials of the assembly or its parts, or any other that do not imply alteration of the scope of the invention.
1. Mail deposit box, particularly a mailbox of the type intended for installation outdoors
for use by postal service operators for the temporary storage of objects related to
said service, of a metallic nature and general quadrangular prismatic shape, equipped
with a small door (5) for accessing the interior of the mailbox and a tilted drip
edge (6) located above the upper edge of said small door to protect the latter from
the rain, characterised in that it comprises a lower portion (1) or base and an upper portion (2) or body of the
mailbox wherein said access door (5) is incorporated, where the interconnection between
said lower base portion (1) and body portion (2) of the mailbox includes the insertion
of an arched section (3), with the help of inner and outer welding seams, said lower
base portion (1) also including supports (8) in the form of squares, solidarised by
means of welding to two opposing side walls destined to support an extractable base.
2. Mailbox according to claim 1, characterised in that said extractable base preferably adopts an inverted truncated pyramid configuration.
3. Mailbox according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the lower portion (1) or base includes elements to fix it to the ground or other
resting surface, materialised in the form of three anchorings (9) respectively associated
to as many other edges that are contiguous to the lower base, in centred positions
with respect to said edges, each of which having an orifice for the passage of a respective
fixing screw.
4. Mailbox according to claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the small door (5) additionally includes a cylinder-free safety lock (7), in addition
to internal elements that fix it in the closed position and anti-warping means.
Amended claims in accordance with Rule 137(2) EPC.
1. Mail deposit box, particularly a mailbox of the type intended for installation outdoors
for use by postal service operators for the temporary storage of objects related to
said service, of metal plate and general quadrangular prismatic shape, equipped with
a small door (5) for accessing the interior of the mailbox and a tilted drip edge
(6) located above the upper edge of said small door to protect the later from the
rain, characterized in that it comprises a lower portion (1) or base and an upper portion (2) or body of the
mailbox wherein said access door (5) is incorporated, where said lower base portion
(1) and body portion (2) are interconnected by means of an arched profile (3) that
extends perimetrally throughout said lower portion and boy portion with the application
of continuous welding seams, said lower base portion (1) also including supports (8)
in the form of squares and an extractable base, the supports (8) being solidarised
by means of welding to two opposing side walls and destined to support the extractable
base.
2. Mailbox according to claim 1, characterised in that said extractable base preferably adopts an inverted truncated pyramid configuration.
3. Mailbox according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the lower portion (1) or base includes elements to fix it to the ground or other
resting surface, materialised in the form of three anchorings (9) respectively associated
to as many other edges that are contiguous to the lower base, in centred positions
with respect to said edges, each of which having an orifice for the passage of a respective
fixing screw.
4. Mailbox according to claims 1 to 3, characterised in