Mailbox with delivery indicator

Abstract

A mailbox delivery indicator for a standard rural mailbox signals to a resident when the mail carrier has been to his mailbox. When the mailbox door is opened, an actuator arm extends and pushes an active signaling element, causing it to fall by gravity to a hanging position below the mailbox. Once the active signaling element has fallen, a passive signaling element is exposed for remote observation. The active signaling element in the hanging position together with exposure of the passive signaling element indicate to the resident that the mail carrier has been by his mailbox. At this time, the resident can check his mailbox without wasting a trip to the mailbox. After the resident checks his mail, he closes the door and resets the active signaling element to the covering position.

1 . A signaling device for attachment to a conventional rural mailbox having a side wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, an open end, a door sized and configured for closing the open end, said door being mounted for pivotable movement from a closed orientation to a open orientation, comprising: 
 a) an actuator arm;    b) a cam coupled between the actuator arm and the front door for extending and retracting the actuator arm as the door is opened and closed;    c) a hub attached to the mailbox for guiding the actuator arm as it is extended and retracted;    d) a passive signaling element attached to the mailbox; and    e) an active signaling element movably coupled to the mailbox for movement from a set position in which the active signaling element is overlying the passive signaling element and is engagable by the actuator arm in the extended position, and movable to a released position in response to engagement by the actuator arm in which the passive signaling element is uncovered and exposed for viewing by a remote observer.    
     
     
         2 . A signaling device according to  claim 1 , including a hinge linking the active signaling element and the hub so that the active signaling element can be inclined in a leaning orientation against the mailbox in the set position, and so that the active signaling element is pushed by engagement of the actuator arm to an off-center position leaning away from the mailbox when the front door is moved to the open position.  
     
     
         3 . A signaling device according to  claim 1 , wherein the passive signaling element is attached to the rear wall and the actuator arm is supported for extension and retraction beneath the bottom wall.  
     
     
         4 . The mailbox according to  claim 1 , in which the passive signaling element is a strip or patch of reflective material.  
     
     
         5 . The mailbox according to  claim 1 , in which the passive signaling element is a strip or patch of fluorescent material.  
     
     
         6 . The mailbox according to  claim 1 , in which the passive signaling element is a painted area of contrasting color applied to an external surface of the mailbox.  
     
     
         7 . The mailbox according to  claim 1 , wherein the passive signaling element is composed of a permanent magnet material.  
     
     
         8 . The mailbox according to  claim 1 , including a permanent magnet attached to the active signaling element for providing a magnetic force of latching engagement with the mailbox when the active signaling element is in the closed orientation.  
     
     
         9 . The mailbox according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a) a side wall cover plate coupled to the active signaling element; and    b) a side wall passive signaling element attached to the side wall of the mailbox.    
     
     
         10 . The mailbox according to  claim 9 , in which the side wall passive signaling element is a strip or patch of reflective material.  
     
     
         11 . The mailbox according to  claim 9 , in which the passive signaling element is a strip or patch of fluorescent material.  
     
     
         12 . A method for remotely signaling a door open event during the operation of a standard rural mailbox of the type including a side wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, an open end, an access door sized and configured for closing the open end, the access door being mounted for pivotable movement from a closed mailbox position to an open mailbox position, comprising the steps: 
 a) attaching a passive signaling element onto an external surface of the mailbox;    b) covering the passive signaling element with a movable signaling element;    c) moving the access door to the open mailbox position;    d) moving the active signaling element away from the covering position in response to movement of the access door to the open position such that the center of gravity of the active signaling element shifts and gravity draws the active signaling element downward to a signaling position; and,    e) exposing the passive signaling element for viewing from a remote location in response to movement of the active signaling element to the signaling position.    
     
     
         13 . A method for remotely signaling a door open event, as recited in  claim 12  further comprising: 
 a) attaching a second passive signaling element onto an external surface of the mailbox; and  
 b) covering the second passive signaling element with a second movable signaling element.  
 
     
     
         14 . A method for remotely signaling a door open event, as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 attaching a magnet to the movable signaling element.    
     
     
         15 . A signaling device for attachment to a standard rural mailbox having a side wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, an open end, an access door sized and configured for closing the open end, the access door being mounted for pivotable movement from a closed mailbox orientation to an open mailbox orientation, comprising a cover plate mounted on the mailbox and movable to and from a set position and a released signaling position in response to movement of the access door, a passive signaling element attached to the mailbox which is exposed for remote observation in response to movement of the cover plate from the set position to the signaling position, and which is covered and hidden from view by the cover plate when the cover plate is moved from the signaling position to the set position.  
     
     
         16 . The mailbox according to  claim 15 , in which the passive signaling element is a strip or patch of reflective material.  
     
     
         17 . The mailbox according to  claim 15 , in which the passive signaling element is a strip or patch of fluorescent material.  
     
     
         18 . The mailbox according to  claim 15 , in which the passive signaling element is a painted area of contrasting color applied to an external surface of the mailbox.  
     
     
         19 . The mailbox according to  claim 15 , including a permanent magnet attached to the cover plate for providing a magnetic force of latching engagement with the mailbox when the cover plate is in the set position.  
     
     
         20 . The mailbox according to  claim 15 , wherein the passive signaling element is composed of a permanent magnet material.  
     
     
         21 . A signaling device for attachment to a conventional rural mailbox having a side wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, an open end, a door sized and configured for closing the open end, said door being mounted for pivotable movement from a closed orientation to an open orientation, comprising: 
 a) an actuator arm;    b) a cam coupled between the actuator arm and the front door for extending and retracting the actuator arm as the door is opened and closed;    c) a hub attached to the mailbox for guiding the actuator arm as it is extended and retracted;    d) a first passive signaling element attached to the rear wall;    e) a second passive signaling element attached to the side wall;    f) an active signaling element movably coupled to the mailbox for movement from a set position to a released position in response to engagement by the actuator arm in which the first passive signaling element and second passive element are uncovered and exposed for viewing by a remote observer; and,    g) wherein the active signaling element includes a first cover plate covering the first passive signaling element in the set position and a second cover plate covering the second passive signaling element in the set position, the second cover plate being transversely oriented with respect to the first cover plate.