GB2399389A

GB2399389A - A folding mail holder for attachement to a door over a letterbox opening

Info

Publication number: GB2399389A
Application number: GB0305643A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Mcraeironside
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-03-12
Filing date: 2003-03-12
Publication date: 2004-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 2023-03-12
Also published as: GB2399389B; GB0305643D0

Abstract

A mail holder comprises a front (4), a hinged lid (2), a bottom (3), two trellised sides (5, 6) and a space for receiving the mail (1). In use, when the door is in a closed position the mail holder will be in an expanded position, when the door is opened, the mail holder contacts a wall and is pushed into a compact position (Figure 2), with the mail being forced into the space (1). This results in the access through the door not being impeded by the volume of mail holder. Chains (21, 22, Figure 3) may be used to link the top and bottom opposing corners of the holder and an anti-friction plate may be incorporated to aid moving from the in use position to the compact position.

Description

DOMESTIC MAILHOLDER

The invention relates to a large mail holder attached to the back of a domestic front door, of the type which holds incoming mail.

Such mail holders are well known but suffer the disadvantage that when the door is opened it cannot be opened fully as the mail holder restricts further movement between the door and wall.

An object of this invention is to lessen this restriction so as the door can be opened to allow access through it for wider objects such as wheelchairs, prams etc. In addition, the mail holder prevents access from, for example; dogs, to the mail inside.

Accordingly, this invention provides a large angled mail holder, which, when on contact with the internal wall adjacent to the household front door, folds to allow the door to be opened to access wider objects, at the same time keeping the mail in the mail holder.

Preferably the mail holder is made of metal or similar material and, optionally, an anti-friction metal plate can be attached to the adjacent internal wall to avoid scratching of the wall surface when in contact with the mail holder.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: FIGURE 1: shows a side view of the mail holder when the door is fully closed.

FIGURE 2: shows a side view of the mail holder when contact with the adjacent internal wall has been made and the door is fully opened.

FIGURE 3: shows how chains will ensure the mail holder returns to its original position.

FIGURE 4: shows the position of the lid and lid hinges.

As shown in Figure 1, the mail holder comprises a front section 4, a top hinged lid 2, a bottom section 3, two trellised sides 5,6, a gap for the mail 1, ten hinges 7,8,9,10,1 1,12,13,14,15,16, a top rim 20, two chains 21,22 and an optional anti-friction plate {not shown} When the door is closed the mail holder will be in a position, Figure 1, where the trellised sides 5,6, are in an opened position.

To open the door fully the front ofthe mail holder 4 needs to come into contact with the wall 19.

Firstly the corner sectionsl7,18 of front section 4 comes into contact with the wall 19 and optional anti-friction plate {not shown}thus causing trellised sides 5,6 to begin to close. As this occurs the whole of front section 4 comes into contact with the wall 19 and optional anti-friction plate. To allow the trellised sides 5,6 to close completely, so as the mail holder can fold, hinges 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 open out.

Once the door is fully opened, Figure 2, the mail is pushed into the gap I where it stays until the door is back in its closed position. When the door is released from wall 19 the hinges 7,X,9,10,11,12,13,14 begin to close allowing the trellised sides 5,6 to begin to open by means of gravity pulling downwards. The mail holder is therefore able to fall back to its original position \ on the back of the closed door, Figure 1, as the hinges 7,8,9,10,1 1,12,13,14 will not allow any additional downwards movement once opened to their full extent. The mail in gap I can then fall back into the fully opened mail holder.

Due to the possibility that the hinges 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 will loosen through natural usage and the mail holder falling completely downwards chains 21,22 will be fitted internally on both sides of the mail holder and chain 21 attached from hinge 7 to hinge 10 and chain 22 from hinge I I to hinge 14, Figure 3.

A lid is fitted so as the mail can be retrieved. This is fitted to the mail holder by two hinges 15,16, Figure 4. The hinges 15,16 open out as the mail holder folds and the lid moves upwards allowing the mail holder to completely fold. The hinges 15,16 close in when the mail holder returns to its original position and the lid moves downwards to lie flat on rim 20.

Claims

A domestic mailholder which fits on the back of a household front door comprising hinges, a lid, internal supporting chains and trellised sides which when holding mail allows access through the fully opened door and also comprising a gap for mail to fall into when the door is opened to its full extant.