US 4,600,143 A · Slidable tray insert for mailboxes

Abstract

A conventional rural mailbox has a slidable tray insert therein molded from a plastic material exhibiting natural flexural characteristics with a generally rectangular configuration defined by a bottom wall with a pair of side walls and an end wall extending upwardly therefrom. The bottom wall has a handle inclined upwardly therefrom and spaced from the side walls and end wall. The handle is operatively connected to the bottom wall by a flexible live hinge permitting relative movement therebetween. Each of the side walls include a flexible finger element thereon for centrally locating the tray insert within the mailbox and limiting relative sliding movement therebetween. The end wall has a rearwardly inclined resilient semicircular member thereon for moving the tray insert partially out of the mailbox to expose the handle when the mailbox is opened and for maintaining the tray insert in a level position when it is fully extended from the mailbox.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A slidable tray insert for use in combination with a rural mailbox having a bottom panel, a back panel and a U-shaped roof portion defining an enclosure with an entrance opening at one end thereof, and a door member pivotally mounted adjacent said entrance opening for movement between an open position permitting access to the enclosure through the entrance opening and a closed position covering the entrance opening, comprising:

a generally rectangular bottom wall, a pair of side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, an end wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall and transversely between said side walls, and a handle disposed on said bottom wall opposite said end wall and spaced from said side walls, said handle normally inclined upwardly from said bottom wall and being connected to the bottom wall by resilient hinge means permitting pivoting movement of said handle from its upwardly inclined position to a position flush against the bottom panel of the mailbox.

In combination,

A. a rural mailbox having a generally rectangular bottom panel, a back panel and a U-shaped roof portion defining an enclosure with an entrance opening at one end thereof and a door member pivotally mounted adjacent said entrance opening for movement between an open position permitting access to said enclosure through said entrance opening and a closed position covering said entrance opening;
and
B. a tray insert slidably seated within said enclosure of said mailbox for movement through said entrance opening between a retracted position completely within said enclosure and a protracted position partially within said enclosure, comprising:
i. a generally rectangular bottom wall;
ii. a pair of side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall;
iii. an end wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall and transversely between said side walls;
iv. a handle disposed on said bottom wall opposite said end wall and spaced from said side walls, said handle normally inclined upwardly from said bottom wall and being connected to the bottom wall by resilient hinge means for permitting movement of said handle from its upwardly inclined position;
v. a resilient finger element mounted on each of said side walls extending outwardly and forwardly at an acute angle thereto from adjacent said end wall, said finger elements biased against said roof portion and cooperating to centrally locate said tray within said enclosure and
vi. means for engaging said back panel of said mailbox when said door member thereof is in its closed position, moving said tray insert from its retracted position through said entrance opening to a partially protracted position when said door member is moved from its closed to its open position, and maintaining said tray insert in a substantially lavel position when said tray insert is in its fully protracted position.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Slidable tray insert for mailboxes

Life of this patent

Slidable tray insert for mailboxes

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32