E-Z out mail tray

Abstract

This invention is a simple, inexpensive, damage resistant, compact tray for use in rural type mailboxes to facilitate an improved, safer and easier manner in posting and receiving mail. It is designed with five major additions to the arts of existing mail tray patents: 1. The nature of this invention is specifically designed for mass production to result in an inexpensive tray available to peoples of all income brackets. 2. It is also designed for damage control keeping incoming and outgoing mail free from damage, with emphasis on water damage. 3. It is designed to allow mail receipiants ease of access when approaching in an automobile. 4. Multiple materials may be used in its construction, all working equally well. 5. All of the necessary arts found in the various inventions of this nature have been consolidated in this invention.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The need for a more economical, more efficient, more simple and easier to use mail tray comes loud and clear from the millions who use rural type mailboxes and this is the background and cause of this invention.

There is existing at this date, Apr. 6, 2004, over thirty-three million such mail boxes (33,314,305), in the United States alone, one of these is mine and a quick calculation using an estimated mail recipient checking mail twenty-five times a month reveals visits to rural mail boxes in the United States to be over six hundred and sixty million per month.

Prior art incorporated in mailbox inserts, which are known and documented, individually, fail to include all of the problems involved with the handling of mail in and out of rural mailboxes. U.S. Pat. Nos., 4,714,192, Harlow, 4,753,385, Phipps, 4,896,827, Economou. 5,271,55. Mayer.

This invention, named, E Z Out Mail Tray, incorporates and solves all of the prior arts necessary problems and includes those which have here to fore been omitted, such as, simplicity, durability, damage control, economical, available simple two part kit for adjustment to fit odd size mailboxes and others.

This invention, named, E Z Out Mail Tray, will solve the problems that exist regarding rural mail boxes and rural mail boxes where used for city delivery, and being a very simple and easy to use tray, will through mass production, be made economically available for those in any income bracket.

This invention, named E Z Out Mail Tray, will give damage control, including solving the problem of mail becoming wet when mail boxes leak, usually through door, by lifting the tray off the mail box floor.

The endeavor of the E Z Out Mail Tray is to supply at an economical cost a mail tray that would be available to all, regardless of income bracket, and solve these problems:

• 1. Economy—Mass production is a necessity to reach the economic goal desired. Simple in design with no moving parts, no box like features, no wheels, springs, hinges, latches, etc, which require maintenance.
• 2 Damage control—Rural mail boxes more often than not will leak rainwater after a little use. Rails/slides on bottom of tray elevate tray off mailbox floor.
• 3 Eliminate problems of handicapped, elderly, and crippled of reaching the mail inside mailboxes.
• 4 Eliminate the necessity of leaning out of window, unbuckling seat belt, and/or opening door.
• 5 Eliminate driving so close to mailbox.
• 6. Eliminate damage to car and mailbox.
• 7. Eliminate danger of engaging scorpions, spiders, snakes, bats, ants, and other unwelcome visitors to the mailbox.
• 8. Durability is accomplished by being of one piece, molded or built in a solid form, with no attachments. A two piece kit will be available to allow adjustment for odd size mailboxes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To accomplish the endeavors mentioned in the forgoing background of the invention and the claims hereto made, much investigating and information gathering from manufacturers and prior patents was accomplished.

The focus of the invention was to be able to produce a slide tray for rural mail boxes that encompassed all of the information gathered with the primary goal of supplying a tray that would be economically available to all people of all income brackets.

In our information assembled it was also noted that we found no indication of protecting mail once it was in the mailbox. Being aware of the damage mail often receives during wet weather we deemed it necessary to afford this protection by lifting the tray from the floor of the mailbox.

We also noted no importance to the fact that a tray, properly constructed, would allow the mail recipient to stop their car farther from the mailbox, thus avoiding damage to mail box and car. This is a very important factor; especially as pertains to the elderly whose driving skills may have waned.

The conclusion of our investigating and information gathering was clear, we must have a very simply constructed tray with no wheels, springs, or other appendages because the ideal way of manufacture is the molding process using a variety of rubber byproducts and soft compounds.

This invention will solve many problems that exist regarding rural mail with a simple, economical, enduring attachment.

This invention will be known as: E Z Out Mail Tray.

BRIEF DISCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1A—An oblique sketch indicating the five (5) pieces used when constructed of wood. Dimensions indicated for each piece will, when assembled, fit the #1 type rural mailbox approved by the U.S. Postal Department. Oppositonal sizes available to fit other mailboxes. Names are indicated for each part.

FIG. 2A—End view from front showing lift of base plate off mailbox floor.

FIG. 3A—End view from rear showing lift of base plate from Mailbox floor.

FIG. 4A—Side view showing base plate, mail stop, sidewall retainers, slide/rail.

FIG. 5A—Side photo giving a comparison of size and ease of application.

FIG. 6A—Photo view of two piece kit adjustable to fit any size mailbox. Cutting the overall length to fit the mailbox and attaching bumper side with glue, staples, sprigs, or nails is all that is necessary.

FIG. 7A—Mail tray partially removed from mailbox.

FIG. 8A—Shows mail tray lifted off mailbox floor.

FIG. 9A—Bottom view of mail tray.

FIG. 10A—Top view of mail tray.

FIG. 11A—Shows closeness necessary to drive to mailbox without mail tray, with side mirror one inch from mailbox, it is necessary to lean out of the window, unbuckle the seat belt, or open the door, to reach inside the mailbox.

FIG. 12A—Shows when driving fourteen inches from the mailbox, the mail can still be retrieved with mail tray without leaning from the car and not necessary to reach inside the mailbox. Avoids damage to car and mailbox.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention is designed in simple configuration to facilitate mass production from various materials, to present a useful product that will be economically priced to the consumer, and include design for damage control.

The simple configuration submitted allows production from several materials, some of which are: moldable rubber compounds, wood, light metal, and plastic. The desired material is moldable rubber compounds.

The process of manufacture using rubber compounds consists of molds, which can be formed or purchased from mold making companies. The operation of manufacture after securing the mold is simply pouring the liquid into the mold and let it harden. This is a process that is well known in the molding business.

Using the above method is desired as assembly lines and delicate handwork is avoided and is necessary to reach the goal of economically available to all income classes of people.

This processes alone separates this invention from prior products of this nature.

Damage control is a major factor in the rural mailbox delivery system. The above design has rails/slides on the under part of the trav to lift the trav off the mailbox floor to eliminate water damage which is the major culprit to the damage of mail.

This is a part of the design of this invention, which our search fails to find in other arts.

The durability of life of the invention is secured by its simplicity; it contains all the necessary needs of mail service contained in other arts, without attachments that wear out, malfunction, and breakage.

Another advantage of this invention is the availability of a flat table like surface that can be retrieved from the mailbox and into the car where sorting and even writing can be done. This can be done because of the compactness and simplicity of the mail trav. The art of other such inventions prohibits this feature. Our search of the arts of other such inventions reveals no mention of the ability to retrieve mail while being at a greater distance from the mailbox. It is critical that this ability is available for the reasons listed in claims numbers six (6) and seven (7).

Claims

1. I claim the E Z Out Mail Tray to be specifically designed for mass production, thus lending itself to the multitude of rural mailbox users, (over thirty three million mailboxes in the U.S. alone) and makes the cost to the consumer economically acceptable, five dollars ($5.00) or less at present day cost of production.

2. I claim damage control to be of primary concern since rural mailboxes are notoriously bad about leaking rainwater in the door, allowing water to run through the mailbox causing mail inside to become soaked and damaged; runners, or rails, which hold the tray off the floor of the mailbox keeps mail dry.

3. I claim the E Z Out Mail Tray will be available to fit the three regular size mailboxes authorized by the Postal Department and a two piece kit, which is adaptable to fit any odd size mailboxes, will be available.

4. I claim the E Z Out Mail Tray is designed to make an easy and simple adaptation to the mailbox and being ready to use, merely place it in the mailbox, no attaching or adaptations necessary.

5. I claim the E Z Out Mail Tray allows one to pull the tray partially or entirely from the mailbox and into the car, if desired, since it is not attached to the mailbox, allowing sorting and checking of mail and offers a surface for any writing that needs be done, eliminating the problem of no place to write while sitting in a car.

6. I claim the E Z Out Mail Tray allows the driver more distance from the mailbox since it is not necessary to reach inside the box to retrieve the mail, the pull hole in the front of the tray allows retrieving the mail by only being close enough to reach the door of the mailbox.

7. I claim the E Z Out Mail Tray avoids the hazard of coming into contact with varmints that might be in the box such as: scorpions, spiders, snakes, birds, ants, and other uninvited guests; putting your hand inside such an enclosure, where visual sight is hampered can be very dangerous.

8. I claim the E Z Out Mail Tray has an almost unlimited life span of use since there are no springs, wheels, or other attachments to become worn or to malfunction.

9. I claim the E Z Out Mail Tray is adaptable to be constructed from many types of material which will enhance mass production, moldable rubber compounds, (which is the desirable material), wood, light metal, and plastics to name a few.

10. I claim the E Z Out Mail Tray to be unique in design through the medium of simplicity, combining and improving the necessary functions indicated in prior art and meets needs not here to fore incorporated.