US 5,492,272 AGranted

Mail slot receiving device

OwnerBrian R. Fewerinventor

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Abstract

A mail slot receiving device for capturing and retaining mail positioned through a mail slot. The inventive device includes a mounting assembly securable beneath a mail slot. A flexible receiving assembly is coupled to the mounting assembly for receiving mail positioned through the mail slot. The receiving assembly will flexibly deform to retain mail therewithin during movement of the device such as occurs when the device is secured to a garage door.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A mail slot receiving device and garage door combination comprising:

a track;
a garage door having a mail slot directed therethrough and being slidably mounted on the track so as to translate from a first position wherein the garage door is substantially vertically oriented to a second position wherein the garage door is substantially horizontally oriented;
a mounting means being secured to the garage door beneath the mail slot thereof;
and,
a flexible receiving means coupled to the mounting means for receiving mail positioned through the mail slot of garage door to retain the mail, such that when the garage door is raised into the second position, the receiving means is permitted to swing relative to the mounting means under an influence of gravity to preclude a gravitationally induced egress of mail from the receiving means;
wherein the mounting means comprises a frame mounted to the garage door, the frame of the mounting means including an inner frame member spaced from and oriented parallel to an outer frame member, with a pair of lateral frame members extending substantially orthogonally between respectively opposed pairs of ends of the inner and outer frame members to define a substantially rectangular shape of the frame, the inner frame member being a continuous member extending between inner ends of the lateral frame members, the inner frame member being positioned in an abutting orientation with an interior surface of the garage door beneath the mail slot thereof and the outer frame member being positioned in an orientation spaced from the interior surface of the garage door substantially a distance equal to a length of the lateral frame member, the inner frame member being fixedly secured to the interior surface of the garage door by a plurality of fasteners associated with the inner frame member and engaging the interior surface of the garage door, whereby the frame member remains fixedly secured to said garage door in either of the first position wherein the garage door is substantially vertically oriented and the second position wherein the garage door is substantially horizontally oriented.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A mail slot receiving device and garage door combination comprising:

a track;
a garage door having a mail slot directed therethrough and being slidably mounted on the track so as to translate from a first position wherein the garage door is substantially vertically oriented to a second position wherein the garage door is substantially horizontally oriented;
a mounting means being secured to the garage door beneath the mail slot thereof;
and,
a flexible receiving means coupled to the mounting means for receiving mail positioned through the mail slot of garage door to retain the mail, such that when the garage door is raised into the second position, the receiving means is permitted to swing relative to the mounting means under an influence of gravity to preclude a gravitationally induced egress of mail from the receiving means;
wherein the mounting means comprises a frame mounted to the garage door, the frame of the mounting means including an inner frame member spaced from and oriented parallel to an outer frame member, with a pair of lateral frame members extending substantially orthogonally between respectively opposed pairs of ends of the inner and outer frame members to define a substantially rectangular shape of the frame, the inner frame member being a continuous member extending between inner ends of the lateral frame members, the inner frame member being positioned in an abutting orientation with an interior surface of the garage door beneath the mail slot thereof and the outer frame member being positioned in an orientation spaced from the interior surface of the garage door substantially a distance equal to a length of the lateral frame member, the inner frame member being fixedly secured to the interior surface of the garage door by a plurality of fasteners associated with the inner frame member and engaging the interior surface of the garage door, whereby the frame member remains fixedly secured to said garage door in either of the first position wherein the garage door is substantially vertically oriented and the second position wherein the garage door is substantially horizontally oriented.

3 more elements