US 5,207,377 AGranted

Deflectable mailbox

OwnerFrederick R. Brechtinventor

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Abstract

A ground-mounted upright mailbox is provided for receiving and storing therein postal material such as letters and variously-sized packages. The mailbox includes a lower mailbox portion which further defines an inner storage compartment, an upper mailbox portion attached to the lower mailbox portion, and a mounting pipe for securing the mailbox into the ground. A laterally deformable lower bellows member is integrally attached to the mailbox subjacent the lower mailbox portion, the lower bellows member allows the mailbox to laterally deflect from its normal upright position when the mailbox is struck by a physical object. Furthermore, the lower bellows member maintains the mailbox in its deflected position until the mailbox is manually righted. In an alternate embodiment, the upright mailbox is secured to the ground by a plurality of mounting pipes. Each mounting pipe includes a flexible, deformable bellows member protruding from one end and which is adapted for attachment to the lower mailbox portion. Each deformable bellows member is adapted to laterally deform when the mailbox is struck by a physical object. After being struck by the object, such as a mail delivery vehicle, the mailbox maintains its deflected position until the mailbox is returned to its normal upright position.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An upright mailbox having a lower bellows member which allows the mailbox to laterally deflect when struck by a physical object, the upright mailbox comprising:

a lower mailbox portion having an inclined front wall, a pair of oppositely-disposed, vertically-upright side walls, and a vertically-extending back wall, the lower mailbox portion further defining an inner storage compartment wherein material can be deposited;
a rectangular-shaped upper mailbox portion attached to the lower mailbox portion, the upper mailbox portion having a mailbox opening which allows material to be passed therethrough for depositing into the inner storage compartment;
a generally flat upper mail shelf attached to, and located within, the upper mailbox portion and extending substantially the full horizontal length of the upper mailbox portion;
a substantially flat mail drop shelf hingeably attached to the side walls adjacent the mailbox opening and extending substantially within the inner storage compartment, the mail drop shelf adapted to pivot upward toward the upper mailbox portion and downward into the inner storage compartment;
a mailbox lid attached to the mail drop shelf for pivoting in tandem therewith, the mailbox lid adapted for sealably closing the mailbox opening;
a collapsibly-extensible, laterally deformable lower bellows member attached subjacent to the lower mailbox portion and adapted to laterally deform when the upright mailbox is struck by a physical object, the lower bellows member adapted to maintain the laterally deflected position of the mailbox until the mailbox is returned to an upright position by an external force;
a mail access door hingeably attached to the back wall of the lower mailbox portion and adapted to selectively open and close in order to contain material within the inner storage compartment and permit removal of material therefrom;
and
a mounting means for securing the upright mailbox into the ground, the mounting means located beneath the lower bellows member and attached thereto.

6 more elements

An upright mailbox having a means which allows the mailbox to laterally deflect when struck by a physical object, the upright mailbox comprising:

a lower mailbox portion having an inclined front wall, a pair of oppositely-disposed, vertically-upright side walls, and a vertically-extending back wall, the lower mailbox portion further defining an inner storage compartment wherein material can be deposited;
a rectangular-shaped upper mailbox portion attached to the lower mailbox portion, the upper mailbox portion having a mailbox opening which allows materials to be passed therethrough for depositing into the inner storage compartment;
a generally flat upper mail shelf attached to, and located within, the upper mailbox portion and extending substantially the full horizontal length of the upper mailbox portion;
a substantially flat mail drop shelf hingeably attached to the side walls adjacent the mailbox opening and extending substantially within the inner storage compartment, the mail drop shelf adapted to pivot upward toward the upper mailbox portion and downward into the inner storage compartment;
a mailbox lid attached to the mail drop shelf for pivoting in tandem therewith, the mailbox lid adapted for sealably closing the mailbox opening;
a mail access door hingeably attached to the back wall of the lower mailbox portion and adapted to selectively open and close in order to contain material within the inner storage compartment and permit removal of material therefrom;
and
a flexible mounting means for securing the upright mailbox into the ground so that the upright mailbox will laterally deflect when struck by a physical object and maintain its deflected state until physically returned to the upright position, wherein the flexible mounting means includes a plurality of elongated mounting pipes, each mounting pipe having a lower pipe end for placement into the ground and a upper pipe end protruding above the ground for attachment to the upright mailbox and, a plurality of elongated, deformable, generally circular-shaped flexible bellows members, each bellows member attached to the upper pipe end of each mounting pipe, wherein the flexible bellows members facilitate the deflection when the mailbox is struck by the physical object.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.