US20230397749A1

US20230397749A1 - Lockable Package Delivery Box

Info

Publication number: US20230397749A1
Application number: US17/840,030
Authority: US
Inventors: Leronica Knox
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-06-14
Filing date: 2022-06-14
Publication date: 2023-12-14

Abstract

A lockable package delivery box for securing delivered packages from tampering, theft, and weather includes a receptacle enclosing an interior space, wherein the receptacle has a top surface, the top surface sloping upward from each of a pair of lateral edges to a centerline parallel to each lateral edge. A lockable front door and a lockable back door are coupled to the receptacle, each door using a different key.

Description

(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

(c) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

(d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

(e) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

Not Applicable

(f) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

(g) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to package delivery boxes and more particularly pertains to a new package delivery box for securing delivered packages from tampering, theft, and weather.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to package delivery boxes which resort to several means for securely locking a package within them. Some devices are designed to function as furniture in addition to securely containing packages. Some devices have a single door at the top of the device which make lifting heavy packages that fill most of the containment space inconvenient or challenging. The prior art discloses a device with doors on opposite sides of the box, but which lacks weather-proofing features like a sloped roof and raised support legs. The prior art does not disclose a secure package delivery box that is comprised of a large package receptacle with a peaked roof and two access doors that can be selectively opened with keys used by delivery services or a key controlled by the package recipient.

(h) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a receptacle enclosing an interior space, wherein the receptacle has a top surface, the top surface sloping upward from each of a pair of lateral edges to a centerline parallel to each lateral edge. A lockable front door and a lockable back door are coupled to the receptacle, each door using a different key.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

(i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top front side perspective view of a lockable package delivery box according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a side in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a front in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new package delivery box embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6 , the lockable package delivery box 10 generally comprises a receptacle 12 enclosing an interior space 14. The receptacle 12 has a top surface 16 sloping upward from each of a pair of lateral edges 18 to a centerline 20 parallel to each lateral edge 18 such that the receptacle 12 has a height from a bottom surface 22 to the centerline 20 of the top surface 16 between 65.0 centimeters and 75.0 centimeters. The receptacle 12 has a width between a pair of lateral sides 24 between centimeters and 60.0 centimeters and a length between a front side 26 and a back side 28 between 58.0 and 68.0 centimeters.
A front door 30 is pivotably coupled to the receptacle 12 and is lockable in a closed position by a front lock 32. The front door 30 is configured to permit access to the interior space 14 when open. A back door 34 is pivotably coupled to the receptacle 12 and is lockable in a closed position by a back lock 36. The back door 34 is configured to permit access to the interior space 14 when open. A front hinge 38 is coupled to the front door 30 and the receptacle 12 such that the front door 30 is pivotably coupled to the receptacle 12 about a front vertical axis. A back hinge 40 is coupled to the back door 34 and the receptacle 12 such that the back door 34 is pivotably coupled to the receptacle 12 about a back vertical axis. A front key is operationally couplable with the front lock 32 but is not operationally couplable with the back lock 36. A back key is operationally couplable with the back lock 36 but is not operationally couplable with the front lock 32. Alternatively, the back key may be operationally couplable with the front lock 32. A front gasket 46 is coupled to the front door 30 which abuts a front interior perimeter edge of the receptacle 12 when the front door 30 is closed. A back gasket 48 is coupled to the back door 34 which abuts a back interior perimeter edge 52 of the receptacle 12 when the back door 34 is closed. Each of the front gasket 46 and back gasket 48 are configured to seal the interior space 14 from an exterior space 54 when the front door 30 and the back door 34 respectively are closed.
A plurality of legs 56 is coupled to and elongates downward from the receptacle 12. The legs 56 have a length between 25.0 centimeters and 35.0 centimeters, wherein a bottom end 58 of each leg 56 is movably positionable on a support surface 60. Each leg 56 includes a lip 62 extending laterally from each associated leg 56 adjacent each associated bottom end 58. Each lip 62 has a hole 64 extending vertically through each associated lip 62. Each hole 64 is configured such that an associated fastener is insertable through each associated hole 64 for securing each associated leg 56 to the support surface 60. Each leg 56 is adjacent to an associated corner 68 of the bottom surface 22 of the receptacle 12.
In use, a delivery person uses the front key to unlock the front door 30 and open it. The delivery person places a package 70 within the interior space 14 of the receptacle 12, then closes the front door 30 and locks it with the front key. The box 10 prevents harmful weather elements from entering the interior space 14 and prevents tampering and theft of the package 70 while it is contained within the interior space 14. In particular, the sloping top surface 16 displaces precipitation that could otherwise accumulate and seep into the interior space 14, and the plurality of legs 56 raise the receptacle 12 above any accumulated water, snow, or the like. Later, the package 70 recipient unlocks the back door 34 with the back key and opens it, retrieving the package 70. The recipient then closes the back door 34 and locks it with the back key.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

Claims

I claim:

1. A lockable package delivery box comprising:

a receptacle enclosing an interior space, wherein said receptacle has a top surface, said top surface sloping upward from each of a pair of lateral edges to a centerline parallel to each said lateral edge;

a front door coupled to said receptacle, said front door having a front lock, said front lock being lockable such that said front door is secured in a closed position when said front lock is locked, said front door being configured to permit access to said interior space when in an open position;

a back door coupled to said receptacle, said back door having a back lock, said back lock being lockable such that said back door is secured in a closed position when said back lock is locked, said back door being configured to permit access to said interior space when in an open position;

a front key being operationally couplable with said front lock, said front key not being operationally couplable with said back lock; and

a back key being operationally couplable with said back lock.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a front hinge coupled to said front door and said receptacle such that said front door is pivotably coupled to said receptacle about a front vertical axis.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a back hinge coupled to said back door and said receptacle such that said back door is pivotably coupled to said receptacle about a back vertical axis.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said back key is operationally couplable with said front lock.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the back key is not operationally couplable with said front lock.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a front gasket coupled to said front door, said gasket abutting a front interior perimeter edge of said receptacle when said front door is closed, said front gasket being configured to seal said interior space from an exterior space when said front door is closed.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a back gasket coupled to said back door, said gasket abutting a back interior perimeter edge of said receptacle when said back door is closed, said back gasket being configured to seal said interior space from an exterior space when said back door is closed.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said receptacle has a height from a bottom surface to said centerline of said top surface between 65.0 centimeters and 75.0 centimeters.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said receptacle has a width between a pair of lateral sides between 50.0 centimeters and 60.0 centimeters.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said receptacle has a length between a front side and a back side between 58.0 and 68.0 centimeters.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of legs coupled to and elongating downward from said receptacle, a bottom end of each said leg being movably positionable on a support surface.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said legs have a length between 25.0 centimeters and 35.0 centimeters.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein each said leg includes a lip extending laterally from each said associated leg adjacent each said associated bottom end, each said lip having a hole extending vertically through each said associated lip, each said hole being configured such that an associated fastener is insertable through each said associated hole for securing each said leg to the support surface.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein each said leg is adjacent to an associated corner of said bottom surface of said receptacle.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein said receptacle, said front door, said back door, and said plurality of legs are constructed of steel.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein said receptacle, said front door, said back door, and said plurality of legs are coated in a polymer resin.

17. A lockable package delivery box comprising:

a receptacle enclosing an interior space, wherein said receptacle has a top surface, said top surface sloping upward from each of a pair of lateral edges to a centerline parallel to each said lateral edge, wherein said receptacle has a height from a bottom surface to said centerline of said top surface between centimeters and 75.0 centimeters, wherein said receptacle has a width between a pair of lateral sides between 50.0 centimeters and 60.0 centimeters, wherein said receptacle has a length between a front side and a back side between 58.0 and 68.0 centimeters;

a front door pivotably coupled to said receptacle, said front door having a front lock, said front lock being lockable such that said front door is secured in a closed position when said front lock is locked, said front door being configured to permit access to said interior space when in an open position;

a back door pivotably coupled to said receptacle, said back door having a back lock, said back lock being lockable such that said back door is secured in a closed position when said back lock is locked, said back door being configured to permit access to said interior space when in an open position;

a front hinge coupled to said front door and said receptacle such that said front door is pivotably coupled to said receptacle about a front vertical axis;

a back hinge coupled to said back door and said receptacle such that said back door is pivotably coupled to said receptacle about a back vertical axis;

a front key being operationally couplable with said front lock, said front key not being operationally couplable with said back lock;

a back key being operationally couplable with said back lock, said back key not being operationally couplable with said front lock;

a front gasket coupled to said front door, said gasket abutting a front interior perimeter edge of said receptacle when said front door is closed, said front gasket being configured to seal said interior space from an exterior space when said front door is closed;

a back gasket coupled to said back door, said gasket abutting a back interior perimeter edge of said receptacle when said back door is closed, said back gasket being configured to seal said interior space from the exterior space when said back door is closed; and

a plurality of legs coupled to and elongating downward from said receptacle, wherein said legs have a length between 25.0 centimeters and 35.0 centimeters, a bottom end of each said leg being movably positionable on a support surface, wherein each said leg includes a lip extending laterally from each said associated leg adjacent each said associated bottom end, each said lip having a hole extending vertically through each said associated lip, each said hole being configured such that an associated fastener is insertable through each said associated hole for securing each said associated leg to the support surface, wherein each said leg is adjacent to an associated corner of said bottom surface of said receptacle.