Security mailbox

Abstract

A security mailbox includes a generally upright and enclosed housing having a rearwardly positioned mail retrieving opening selectively covered and uncovered by a lockable first door and a mail receiving opening formed in a front end of the housing selectively covered and uncovered by a second door. A mail guide is positioned within the front end of the housing. A hinge secures a first end of the mail guide to an interior surface of the second door adjacent to and spaced from a top edge thereof, whereby the guide moves between a first position for receiving delivered mail when the second door is opened uncovering the mail receiving opening and a second position for transferring such delivered mail into rear portion of the housing when the second door is closed. A clip is attached to the mail guide for detachably securing outgoing mail.

1 . A security mailbox, said security mailbox comprising:
 (a) a generally upright and enclosed housing, said housing having a mail receiving portion and a mail retrieving portion;   (b) a first opening formed in said mail retrieving portion;   (c) a first door being pivotally supported on said mail retrieving portion for selectively covering and uncovering said first opening;   (d) a lock mechanism for selectively locking said first door to and unlocking it from said mail retrieving portion;   (e) a second opening formed in a front end of said mail receiving portion;   (f) a second door being pivotally supported on said front end of said mail receiving portion for selectively covering and uncovering said second opening;   (g) a mail guide positioned within said mail receiving portion; and   (h) a guide hinge means for hingeably securing a first end of said mail guide to an interior surface of said second door adjacent to and spaced from a top edge thereof, whereby said guide moves between a first position for receiving delivered mail when said second door is opened uncovering said second opening and a second position for transferring such delivered mail into said mail retrieving portion when said second door is closed covering said second opening.   
   
   
       2 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 1 , wherein a lower edge of said first opening is disposed adjacent a bottom member of said mail retrieving portion for accessing such delivered mail disposed on said bottom member. 
   
   
       3 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 1 , wherein said mailbox further includes means for aligning said second door with said bottom member of said mail receiving portion in a horizontal plane when said second door is opened, and whereby said mail guide is disposed generally horizontally and coplanar with said bottom member of said mail receiving portion and said second door being opened. 
   
   
       4 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 3 , wherein said aligning means includes a flexible strap having one end thereof secured to an interior surface of said bottom member and having a second end thereof secured to said interior surface of said second door, said strap having a length fixed to enable such planar alignment. 
   
   
       5 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 3 , wherein said aligning means includes a pair of aligned grooves each formed in an interior surface of a respective side member of said mail receiving portion generally parallel to a bottom member thereof and receiving a pin secured to a respective edge of a second end of said mail guide, whereby contact between said pins with front end of said each groove ceases rotation of said second door and enable such planar alignment. 
   
   
       6 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 1 , wherein said mail guide is inclined at a predetermined angle toward said mail retrieving portion when said second door is closed covering said second opening. 
   
   
       7 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 1 , wherein each edge of said mail guide is positioned in close proximity to a respective interior surface of a side member of said mail receiving portion for facilitating transfer of such delivered mail into said mail retrieving portion. 
   
   
       8 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 1 , wherein said guide hinge means is a continuous hinge. 
   
   
       9 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 1 , wherein said mailbox further includes means for temporarily securing outgoing mail. 
   
   
       10 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 19 , wherein said securing means includes a spring clip which is secured to an upper surface of said mail guide. 
   
   
       11 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 1 , wherein said housing has an L-shape formed by said mail receiving portion and said mail retrieving portion and wherein said mail receiving portion extends outwardly in a generally horizontal direction and said mail retrieving portion extends downwardly in a generally vertical direction when said mailbox is attached to a support structure. 
   
   
       12 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 11 , wherein a generally horizontal bottom member of said mail retrieving portion is disposed at a predetermined distance in a vertical direction from said bottom member of said mail receiving portion so as to prevent a person from reaching into said mail retrieving portion through said second opening formed in said mail receiving portion for the purposes of gaining possession of such delivered mail accumulated on said bottom member of said mail retrieving portion. 
   
   
       13 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 11 , wherein said mailbox includes means for attachment to such support structure. 
   
   
       14 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 13 , wherein such support structure is a vertical post and said attachment means includes an elongated sleeve disposed on and rigidly secured to a front surface of said mail retrieving portion for attaching said mailbox with fasteners to such vertical post. 
   
   
       15 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 11 , wherein such support structure is a horizontally disposed member and wherein said attachment means includes two flanges each extending downwardly from a vertical side of said mail receiving portion and a plurality of openings formed therethrough for attaching said mailbox to such horizontally disposed support member with a plurality of fasteners. 
   
   
       16 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 1 , wherein said mailbox includes an elongated post having a first end thereof secured to at least mail retrieving portion and having a second end thereof mountable into a ground for positioning said bottom member of said mail receiving portion at a predetermined distance above a ground surface. 
   
   
       17 . The security mailbox, according to  claim 1 , wherein said lock mechanism is secured to said first door and having a portion thereof engaging a portion of said mail retrieving portion disposed adjacent said first opening. 
   
   
       18 . In combination with a mailbox including a hollow generally enclosed housing, a first door hingedly secured to a first portion of said housing for selectively covering and uncovering a mail receiving opening, a lockable second door hingedly secured to a second portion of said housing for selectively covering and uncovering a mail retrieving opening, an improvement comprising a mail guide which has a first end thereof secured with a hinge to an interior surface of said first door and having an opposed second end thereof extending into said hollow housing, said mail guide movable into a generally horizontal position when said first door is opened for receiving mail and moves into an inclined position when said first door is closed for transferring said delivered mail toward a bottom member of said hollow housing. 
   
   
       19 . In combination with a secured or locking mailbox including a hollow generally enclosed housing, a first door hingedly secured to a first portion of said housing for selectively covering and uncovering a mail receiving opening, a lockable second door hingedly secured to a second portion of said housing for selectively covering and uncovering a mail retrieving opening, an improvement comprising means for securing said housing with fasteners to a vertical post, wherein said fasteners are disposed internal to said housing and are accessible through said lockable second door for preventing direct access thereto by unauthorized personnel.