Apparatus and method for isolating deposited items
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsRobert J. Felice, Patrick J. Fitzgibbons, John T. Swider
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mail depository apparatus includes a rigid housing forming a channel adapted for directing deposited mail items and an interface member adapted to attach a flexible container to the housing for receiving deposited mail items from the channel, wherein the interface member is adapted to seal the flexible container to the housing to substantially prevent escape of air from the flexible container and the housing at the interface member.
Claims37
A mail depository apparatus, comprising:
- a rigid housing forming a channel adapted for directing deposited mail items;
- and
- an interface member adapted to attach a flexible container to said housing for receiving deposited mail items from said channel,
- wherein said interface member is adapted to seal said flexible container to said housing to substantially prevent escape of air from said flexible container and said housing at said interface member.
A mail depository apparatus, comprising:
- a mail box forming a central chamber and having a depository port located in proximity to a top of said mail box and an access door located in proximity to a bottom of said mail box;
- a divider located within said central chamber and adapted for separating said central chamber into a reception chamber in operable association with said depository port and a storage chamber in operable association with said access door,
- wherein said divider includes a divider opening adapted to allow items deposited into said depository port to drop into said storage chamber;
- and
- an interface member adapted to attach a flexible container located in said storage chamber, to said divider opening for receiving deposited items from said reception chamber,
- wherein said interface member is adapted to seal said flexible container to said divider opening to substantially prevent escape of air from said flexible container and said reception chamber at said interface member.
A method for collecting mail items in a flexible container, comprising the steps of:
- orienting a channel for directing deposited mail items to drop through a channel opening;
- and
- sealing a flexible container around said channel opening with an interface member to contain mail items and to prevent escape of air from said flexible container and said channel at said interface member.
A flexible container for receiving deposited mail items, comprising:
- a flexible bag having an opening sized to fit around a rigid collar;
- and
- a stiffening ring adapted to engage said bag around said opening and to facilitate sealing said flexible bag to a collar,
- said flexible bag being adapted to be cinched closed in proximity to said stiffening ring while said bag is fitted to a collar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.