Inside Mail Slot Cover
Magnetic Mail Slot Cover includes a flexible magnetic sheet material which allows mail to be easily placed through slot openings with little resistance. The sheet then closes shut immediately to prevent any air drafts created by typical exterior mail slot doors.
What is claimed is:Indoor Florence Thru the Wall Mailbox Box Slot Where rain and other harsh elements are not an issue, choose Florence through the wall mailbox slots. Florence has been manufacturing commercial and residential mailboxes since 1934 and now offers several indoor thru wall mailbox slot options including a basic US Mail slot. Ives Stainless Steel Mail Slot Sleeve for 620 621 and 622 Letter Box. Linnea Marine Grade Magazine Sized Mail Slot with Hinged Interior Cover.
1. An indoor mail slot cover that can be reduced in size prior to installation in accordance with the size of said mail slot and that can seal said mail slot by covering said mail slot and a weather-stripping arrangement installed about said mail slot directly on a building structure or on a mail slot bezel plate attached to a building structure, said cover comprising:
a plastic plate having:
a cover flap portion sized to cover said mail slot;
at least one transversely extending groove, located in at least said cover flap portion, said at least one transversely extending groove dividing said cover flap into a pair of adjacent sections;
a lug portion, spaced from said cover flap portion and located directly opposite thereto for connecting said plate to said building structure, said lug portion having at least a pair of separable lug sections, each of which is located opposite to a said second of said cover flap portion; and
a hinge portion located between said lug and said cover flap portions, said hinge portion comprising an integrally formed coined hinge having at least a pair of adjacent separable, hinge sections, each of which connects a said separable lug section to a said section of said cover flap portion; and
means for attaching at least a said lug section to said building structure, whereby when prior to installation one of said adjacent sections of said cover flap portion is of sufficient size to fully cover said mail slot and said weather-stripping arrangement, the other of said adjacent sections of said cover flap portion, simultaneously with a said hinge section and a said lug section connected thereto, can be broken off along the line of said at least one transversely extending groove and then discarded to thereby reduce the size of said cover flap portion and leave the remaining of said adjacent sections thereof operable for pivotable movement with respect to said mail slot between an opened position, uncovering said mail slot and a closed position, covering said mail slot and said weather-stripping arrangement.
2. The indoor mail slot of claim 1 wherein said plate is of rectangular configuration and has a pair of longitudinal edges spaced apart from one another and a pair of transverse edges spaced apart from one another, said transverse edges connecting said longitudinal edges at either end thereof to define the said rectangular configuration of said plate and wherein said at least one transversely extending groove is parallel to said transverse edges.
3. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 2 wherein said at least one transversely extending groove further extends into said hinge and said lug portions to define said separable hinge and said separable lug sections on either side of said at least one transversely extending groove.
4. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 3 wherein said coined hinge is only formed in the surface of said plate facing away from said mail slot as viewed when said indoor mail slot cover is installed on said building structure.
5. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 4 wherein said cover flap portion has a greater transverse extent than said lug and said hinge portions.
6. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 5 wherein said plate further has a set of two pairs of transversely extending grooves, parallel to said transverse edges of said plate, each of said pairs being spaced an equal distance from said transverse edges and said pairs being spaced apart from one another an interval greater than that of said distance, said pairs further dividing said cover flap portion, said hinge and said lug portions into a set of five adjacent sections, wherein the central sections of each have a greater longitudinal extent than the two sections outlying each of said central sections on either side therof, and wherein said lug portion further includes a set of five separable lug sections comprising said five adjacent sections of said lug, and said hinge portion further includes a coined hinge having a set of five separable hinge sections comprising said five adjacent sections of said coined hinge, whereby the length of said plate and hence said indoor mail slot cover can be incrementally reduced by the spacing between said transversely extending grooves and said transverse edges of said plate.
7. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 6 wherein said plate further has a pair of longitudinally extending grooves located in said cover flap portion, intersecting said pairs of transversely extending grooves at right angles, further dividing said cover flap portion into a pair of further sections whereby the width of said plate and hence said indoor mail slot cover can also be incrementally reduced by the spacing between said longitudinally extending grooves and said longitudinal edges of said plate.
8. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 7 wherein all of said grooves are formed in the surface of said plate facing said mail slot as viewed when said indoor mail slot cover is installed.
9. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 8 wherein all of said grooves have a `V` shaped crossection.
10. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 9 further comprising means for releasably securing said cover flap portion in its said closed position.
11. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 10 wherein said releasable securing means include an adhesive ferrite strip disposed beneath said weather-stripping arrangement and an adhesive magnetic strip attached to said cover flap portion on the said surface thereof facing away from said mail slot after the installation thereof at a location thereon so as to overlie said ferrite strip to attract said ferrite strip when said cover flap portion is in its said closed position.
12. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 11 wherein wherein said attachment means include a pair of attachment tabs disposed between said building structure and said plate, said attachment tabs sized and spaced apart from one another so as to underlie said lug sections remaining after possible breakage of said plate.
13. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 12 wherein said weather-stripping arrangement is installed on said bezel plate and said attachment tabs have a pair of opposed self-adhering surfaces, each respectively contacting said lug sections remaining after possible breakage of said plate and said building structure to attach said plate thereto, and a thickness, separating said surfaces, equal to the sum of the thicknesses of said weather-stripping arrangement and said bezel plate.
14. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 12 wherein said weather-stripping arrangement is installed on said bezel plate, said attachment tabs have a pair of opposed self-adhering surfaces, each respectively contacting said lug sections remaining after possible breakage of said plate and said building structure to attach said plate thereto and a thickness, separating said surfaces, equal to the sum of the thicknesses of said weather-stripping arrangement and said bezel plate and wherein said lug portion has at least a set of two pairs of holes, each pair of which is respectively located on either side of the innermost of said transversely extending grooves, and each of said attachment tabs underlies at least one of said holes of a said pair, and wherein said attachment means include at least a pair of screws, each of which extends through said one of said holes of said pair of holes, one of said attachment tabs and said building structure.
15. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 12 wherein said weather-stripping arrangement is installed on said building structure, said attachment tabs each have a thickness equal to that of said weather-stripping arrangement and wherein said lug portion has at least two pairs of holes, each pair of which is respectively located on either side of the innermost of said transversely extending grooves, and each of said attachment tabs underlies at least one of said holes of a said pair, and said attachment means include at least a pair of screws, each of which extends through said one of said holes of said pair of holes, one of said attachment tabs and said building structure.
What is claimed is:
1. An indoor mail slot cover that can be reduced in size prior to installation in accordance with the size of said mail slot and that can seal said mail slot by covering said mail slot and a weather-stripping arrangement installed about said mail slot directly on a building structure or on a mail slot bezel plate attached to a building structure, said cover comprising:
a plastic plate having:
a cover flap portion sized to cover said mail slot;
at least one transversely extending groove, located in at least said cover flap portion, said at least one transversely extending groove dividing said cover flap into a pair of adjacent sections;
a lug portion, spaced from said cover flap portion and located directly opposite thereto for connecting said plate to said building structure, said lug portion having at least a pair of separable lug sections, each of which is located opposite to a said second of said cover flap portion; and
a hinge portion located between said lug and said cover flap portions, said hinge portion comprising an integrally formed coined hinge having at least a pair of adjacent separable, hinge sections, each of which connects a said separable lug section to a said section of said cover flap portion; and
means for attaching at least a said lug section to said building structure, whereby when prior to installation one of said adjacent sections of said cover flap portion is of sufficient size to fully cover said mail slot and said weather-stripping arrangement, the other of said adjacent sections of said cover flap portion, simultaneously with a said hinge section and a said lug section connected thereto, can be broken off along the line of said at least one transversely extending groove and then discarded to thereby reduce the size of said cover flap portion and leave the remaining of said adjacent sections thereof operable for pivotable movement with respect to said mail slot between an opened position, uncovering said mail slot and a closed position, covering said mail slot and said weather-stripping arrangement.
2. The indoor mail slot of claim 1 wherein said plate is of rectangular configuration and has a pair of longitudinal edges spaced apart from one another and a pair of transverse edges spaced apart from one another, said transverse edges connecting said longitudinal edges at either end thereof to define the said rectangular configuration of said plate and wherein said at least one transversely extending groove is parallel to said transverse edges.
3. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 2 wherein said at least one transversely extending groove further extends into said hinge and said lug portions to define said separable hinge and said separable lug sections on either side of said at least one transversely extending groove.
4. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 3 wherein said coined hinge is only formed in the surface of said plate facing away from said mail slot as viewed when said indoor mail slot cover is installed on said building structure.
5. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 4 wherein said cover flap portion has a greater transverse extent than said lug and said hinge portions.
6. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 5 wherein said plate further has a set of two pairs of transversely extending grooves, parallel to said transverse edges of said plate, each of said pairs being spaced an equal distance from said transverse edges and said pairs being spaced apart from one another an interval greater than that of said distance, said pairs further dividing said cover flap portion, said hinge and said lug portions into a set of five adjacent sections, wherein the central sections of each have a greater longitudinal extent than the two sections outlying each of said central sections on either side therof, and wherein said lug portion further includes a set of five separable lug sections comprising said five adjacent sections of said lug, and said hinge portion further includes a coined hinge having a set of five separable hinge sections comprising said five adjacent sections of said coined hinge, whereby the length of said plate and hence said indoor mail slot cover can be incrementally reduced by the spacing between said transversely extending grooves and said transverse edges of said plate.
7. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 6 wherein said plate further has a pair of longitudinally extending grooves located in said cover flap portion, intersecting said pairs of transversely extending grooves at right angles, further dividing said cover flap portion into a pair of further sections whereby the width of said plate and hence said indoor mail slot cover can also be incrementally reduced by the spacing between said longitudinally extending grooves and said longitudinal edges of said plate.
8. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 7 wherein all of said grooves are formed in the surface of said plate facing said mail slot as viewed when said indoor mail slot cover is installed.
Interior Mail Slot Door
9. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 8 wherein all of said grooves have a `V` shaped crossection.10. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 9 further comprising means for releasably securing said cover flap portion in its said closed position.
11. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 10 wherein said releasable securing means include an adhesive ferrite strip disposed beneath said weather-stripping arrangement and an adhesive magnetic strip attached to said cover flap portion on the said surface thereof facing away from said mail slot after the installation thereof at a location thereon so as to overlie said ferrite strip to attract said ferrite strip when said cover flap portion is in its said closed position.
12. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 11 wherein wherein said attachment means include a pair of attachment tabs disposed between said building structure and said plate, said attachment tabs sized and spaced apart from one another so as to underlie said lug sections remaining after possible breakage of said plate.
13. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 12 wherein said weather-stripping arrangement is installed on said bezel plate and said attachment tabs have a pair of opposed self-adhering surfaces, each respectively contacting said lug sections remaining after possible breakage of said plate and said building structure to attach said plate thereto, and a thickness, separating said surfaces, equal to the sum of the thicknesses of said weather-stripping arrangement and said bezel plate.
Inside Mail Slot Cover
14. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 12 wherein said weather-stripping arrangement is installed on said bezel plate, said attachment tabs have a pair of opposed self-adhering surfaces, each respectively contacting said lug sections remaining after possible breakage of said plate and said building structure to attach said plate thereto and a thickness, separating said surfaces, equal to the sum of the thicknesses of said weather-stripping arrangement and said bezel plate and wherein said lug portion has at least a set of two pairs of holes, each pair of which is respectively located on either side of the innermost of said transversely extending grooves, and each of said attachment tabs underlies at least one of said holes of a said pair, and wherein said attachment means include at least a pair of screws, each of which extends through said one of said holes of said pair of holes, one of said attachment tabs and said building structure.
15. The indoor mail slot cover of claim 12 wherein said weather-stripping arrangement is installed on said building structure, said attachment tabs each have a thickness equal to that of said weather-stripping arrangement and wherein said lug portion has at least two pairs of holes, each pair of which is respectively located on either side of the innermost of said transversely extending grooves, and each of said attachment tabs underlies at least one of said holes of a said pair, and said attachment means include at least a pair of screws, each of which extends through said one of said holes of said pair of holes, one of said attachment tabs and said building structure.