초록 ▼

A signal device for attachment to standard, front-opening, outside mail boxes. The device comprises a clip member, a coil spring attached at one end to the clip, and a small flag or other visual indicating means mounted on the opposite end of the spring. The device is installed by inserting the clip

A signal device for attachment to standard, front-opening, outside mail boxes. The device comprises a clip member, a coil spring attached at one end to the clip, and a small flag or other visual indicating means mounted on the opposite end of the spring. The device is installed by inserting the clip over an upper edge of the open end of the mail box, without screws, rivets, or other permanent attachment means and without modifying or piercing the mail box in any way. The coil spring has a normal, unflexed position extending essentially vertically upward from the front, upper edge of the mail box and the device is “set”by flexing the spring downwardly from the end with the box door open to place the flag inside the box. The door is then closed to hold the spring in the flexed position. Upon opening the door, e.g., to insert mail, the spring returns to its upright position and the flag may be observed from a remote location, thereby automatically indicating that the box has been opened.

대표청구항 ▼

A signal device for use with a conventional outdoor mail box having a body portion with bottom, rear, top and side walls, and a front wall hingedly attached along its lower edge to the lower, front edge of the body portion bottom wall, said front wall providing a door movable between open and closed

A signal device for use with a conventional outdoor mail box having a body portion with bottom, rear, top and side walls, and a front wall hingedly attached along its lower edge to the lower, front edge of the body portion bottom wall, said front wall providing a door movable between open and closed positions with respect to the forward edges of the walls of the body portion, and cooperating frictional latch members, one fixedly attached to the body portion adjacent the forward edge of the top wall and the other to the door adjacent its upper edge when in the closed position, said signal device comprising, in combination: (a) a clip member formed of a unitary strip of metal bent upon itself to provide upper and lower portions connected at the band and having a closely superposed normal position with limited flexibility to permit said upper and lower portions to be spread apart for insertion of said clip member on said forward edge of the top wall of said body portion in closely spaced relation to said one latch member, a central portion of said clip member at the bend between said upper and lower portions being removed to provide a cut-out area between two portions of said bend, said upper portion having a through opening adjacent the end opposite said bend; (b) a coil spring element having a lower end inserted into said opening in said upper portion of said clip member, the successive coils of said spring being wound in contacting relation for a first portion of the length of said spring extending from said lower end, said spring being attached to said clip member by engagement of said upper portion thereof being engaged between two successive coils of said spring near said lower end, the coils of said spring being expanded to significantly spaced relation for a second portion of the length of said spring extending upwardly from said first portion, and said spring being bent to a substantially linear portion extending upwardly from said second portion to an upper terminal end, the normal, unflexed position of said spring extending upwardly from said clip member along a substantially linear axis through said first and second portions and along said linear portion; and (c) flag means attached to said linear portion of said spring adjacent said upper terminal end, the relative dimensions and positions of said clip member, coil spring and flag means being such that said spring may be flexed away from said normal position to place said device in a set position wherein the axis of said spring is curved, said second portion of said spring is positioned in said cut-out area of said clip member, and said flag means is positioned inside said box body portion, said device being retained in such position by placing said door in said closed position to retain said second spring portion between said door and said forward edge of the top wall of said body portion without direct engagement therebetween, said spring returning to said normal position upon opening of said door.