Mailboxes generally are of two types, the urban mailbox and the rural mailbox. Urban mailboxes are those types of mailboxes which are physically attached to the dwelling units they service. Rural mailboxes are those types of mailboxes, which are free standing, essentially physically separate from the dwelling units they service. Rural mailboxes usually have the shape of oblong boxes with rounded tops and are mounted on posts very close to the side of the roads in front of the houses that they service. The rural freestanding mailboxes serve multiple purposes, in particular they are used to deposit mail in as well as to identify the property location associated with the mailbox. Rural mailboxes generally have outward opening doors, which in connection with the proximity of the mailboxes to the edge of the road, allows the mail carrier to conveniently deposit mail in the rural mailbox without getting out of the vehicle. Unfortunately, while this configuration is convenient for the mail carrier, the outward opening door is susceptible to being torn away by a vehicle that is too close to the mailbox. Similarly, if the carrier (or resident) stops too closely to the mailbox, the outward opening door may not fully open for removing or depositing mail. Moreover, such outward opening doors can inadvertently open, e.g., from the wind and allow rain or snow to enter the mailbox and damage its contents.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved mailbox apparatus.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds