Lighted mailbox

Abstract

A lighted mailbox has a house-shaped mailbox enclosure with a front, rear, roof and two or more side portions. A section of the mailbox enclosure is adapted to be opened and closed to provide access to its interior. A light source electrically coupled to a power supply is located in and illuminates an interior of the mailbox enclosure. Translucent windows on the mailbox enclosure transmit light when the light source is illuminated such that light is visible from outside the mailbox enclosure but the interior and contents of the mailbox enclosure are not visible from the outside. A photoelectric light sensor which controls the illumination of the light source according to the level of outside ambient light is coupled to the light source and power supply. A solar cell charges the power supply.

1 . A lighted mailbox comprising: 
 (a) a house-shaped mailbox enclosure comprising a front portion, a rear portion, a roof portion and at least two side portions, wherein a section of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure is adapted to be opened and closed to provide access to an interior of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure;    (b) at least one translucent window disposed on said house-shaped mailbox enclosure;    (c) at least one light source disposed in the interior of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure; and    (d) at least one power supply electrically coupled to said at least one light source, wherein said at least one power supply provides an energy to illuminate said at least one light source;    wherein said at least one light source provides a light which illuminates the interior of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure and said at least one translucent window transmits said light such that said light is visible from an outside of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure and the interior is not visible from the outside of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure.    
   
   
       2 . The lighted mailbox according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one photoelectric light sensor electrically coupled to said at least one light source and said at least one power supply, wherein said at least one photoelectric light sensor controls an illumination of said at least one light source according to a level of ambient light detected.  
   
   
       3 . The lighted mailbox according to  claim 2 , wherein said at least one photoelectric light sensor is disposed on said roof portion of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure.  
   
   
       4 . The lighted mailbox according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one power supply comprises a rechargeable battery.  
   
   
       5 . The lighted mailbox according to  claim 4 , further comprising at least one solar cell electrically coupled to and adapted for charging said rechargeable battery.  
   
   
       6 . The lighted mailbox according to  claim 5 , wherein said at least one solar cell is disposed on said roof portion of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure.  
   
   
       7 . The lighted mailbox according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one light source comprises an incandescent light bulb.  
   
   
       8 . The lighted mailbox according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one light source comprises a neon light bulb.  
   
   
       9 . The lighted mailbox according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one light source comprises a light emitting diode.  
   
   
       10 . The lighted mailbox according to  claim 1 , wherein said translucent windows comprise plastic or frosted glass.  
   
   
       11 . The lighted mailbox according to  claim 1 , further comprising a housing disposed in the interior of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure wherein said at least one light source and said at least one power supply are detachably secured to said housing.  
   
   
       12 . The lighted mailbox according to  claim 1 , further comprising a switch electrically coupled to said at least one light source and said at least one power supply, wherein said switch is adapted to illuminate said at least one light source only when said section of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure adapted to be opened and closed is in an open position.  
   
   
       13 . A lighted mailbox comprising: 
 (a) a house-shaped mailbox enclosure comprising a front portion, a rear portion, a roof portion and at least two side portions, wherein a section of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure is adapted to be opened and closed to provide access to an interior of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure;    (b) at least one translucent window disposed on said house-shaped mailbox enclosure;    (c) at least one light source disposed in the interior of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure;    (d) at least one a rechargeable battery electrically coupled to said at least one light source, wherein said at least one rechargeable battery provides an energy to illuminate said at least one light source;    (e) at least one solar cell electrically coupled to and adapted for charging said at least one rechargeable battery; and    (e) at least one photoelectric light sensor electrically coupled to said at least one light source and said at least one rechargeable battery wherein said at least one photoelectric light sensor controls an illumination of said at least one light source according to a level of ambient light detected;    wherein said at least one light source provides a light which illuminates the interior of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure and said at least one translucent window transmits said light such that said light is visible from an outside of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure and the interior is not visible from the outside of said house-shaped mailbox enclosure.