Gatepost

Abstract

To provide a gatepost in which a panel member and an upper lid are prevented from interference, even if the panel member and a mailbox are arranged to come in close contact or contact, and thereby an exterior appearance of design can be improved furthermore.SOLUTION: A gatepost includes: a pair of struts; a panel member mounted between the pair of struts; and a mailbox mounted between the pair of struts, and arranged to come in close contact or contact with the lower part of the panel member. The mailbox has a receiving box body, a posting port opened toward the upper part of the receiving box body, and an upper lid where the front end side is mounted so as to be opened toward the upper part to the posting port. The posting port and the upper lid are arranged in front of the receiving box body from the panel member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gatepost.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a post having a mail slot provided on the upper surface side of a mailbox has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this post, a mail slot lid is attached to the mail slot so as to open downward toward the inside of the mailbox. A mail slot door that covers the mail slot lid is attached to the mail slot lid so as to be openable and closable. The mail slot door has a shape in which the tip is bent downward in an L shape and has a size that covers substantially the entire upper surface of the mailbox. The mail slot door is attached so as to be rotatable from the upper surface to the front surface of the mailbox.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, a gatepost has been known in which a panel member having a nameplate or the like and a mailbox are attached between a pair of columns below the panel member. In order to facilitate the operation of inserting mail from above, it is desirable to provide a mail slot on the upper surface side also for the mailbox provided on such a gatepost.

[0005] However, when attaching a mailbox having a mail slot on the upper surface below the panel member, in order to secure a space for opening the upper lid provided in the mail slot upward, the mailbox must be disposed below the panel member at a distance. Therefore, a large gap is formed between the panel member and the mailbox, and it is difficult to improve the aesthetic appearance of the gatepost.

[0006] Therefore, the inventor has found an issue of providing a gatepost where the panel member and the upper lid do not interfere with each other even when the panel member and the mailbox are arranged close to or in contact with each other, and the design appearance can be further improved.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] The present disclosure includes a pair of columns, a panel member attached between the pair of columns, and a mailbox attached between the pair of columns and arranged close to or in contact with the lower side of the panel member. The mailbox has a mailbox body, a letter slot opening upward above the mailbox body, an upper lid attached to the front end side of the letter slot so as to be openable upward, and a retrieval lid arranged on the front side of the mailbox body and openable upward at the upper end side. The letter slot and the upper lid are arranged in front of the mailbox body rather than the panel member. The upper lid is formed of a flat plate. The upper surface of the upper lid in the closed state is arranged flush with the upper surface of the mailbox body and extends forward from the front surface of the mailbox body. A handle portion flush with the upper surface of the mailbox body is formed on the upper lid by a portion extending forward from the front surface of the mailbox body. The upper lid in the closed state is arranged to cover the upper end portion of the retrieval lid in the closed state from above. It relates to a gatepost.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The gatepost 1 of this embodiment includes a panel member 3 attached inside the support frame 2 and a mailbox 4 attached inside the support frame 2 and disposed below the panel member 3.

[0010] The support frame 2 is composed of a pair of left and right supports 21, 21, an upper crossbar 22, and a lower crossbar 23. The supports 21, the upper crossbar 22, and the lower crossbar 23 are formed of, for example, extruded members made of square tubular metal. The pair of supports 21, 21 are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other and are respectively erected vertically upward from an installation surface G which is the ground in front of the entrance. The upper crossbar 22 is provided so as to horizontally connect the upper ends of the pair of supports 21, 21. The lower crossbar 23 is provided so as to horizontally connect the pair of supports 21, 21 on the upper surface of the installation surface G.

[0011] The panel member 3 is made of a rectangular plate made of metal or resin. The panel member 3 is attached in contact with the upper crossbar 22 between the pair of supports 21, 21. The panel member 3 is composed of two plates, a front panel 31 and a rear panel 32, which are arranged at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 1, a nameplate 33 and an intercom 34 are provided on the surface of the front panel 31. Lighting (not shown) for illuminating the nameplate 33 is provided on the surface of the front panel 31 or the upper crossbar 22.

[0012] The gatepost 1 of the present embodiment is a functional gatepost in which the functions of the nameplate 33, the interphone 34, lighting, and the mailbox 4 are integrated inside the support frame 2. In the gatepost 1 of the present embodiment, the side facing the nameplate 33 and the interphone 34 is defined as "front", and the opposite side is defined as "rear".

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 10, the mailbox 4 is attached below the panel member 3 inside the support frame 2. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the mailbox 4 is attached to the columns 21, 21 by screws (not shown) that pass through the screw holes 41d, 41d on both side surfaces 41b, 41b of the mailbox body 41 from the inside of the mailbox body 41. The mailbox 4 of the present embodiment is in contact with the lower end portion 3a of the panel member 3. However, the mailbox 4 may be arranged close to the lower end portion 3a of the panel member 3 to the extent that it does not impair the appearance.

[0014] The mailbox body 41 has a mail outlet 42 and a mail slot 43. The mail outlet 42 is formed by a large rectangular opening in the front surface of the mailbox body 41. A removal lid 44 that covers the entire surface of the mail outlet 42 is provided at the mail outlet 42. The lower end portion of the removal lid 44 is rotatably attached to the front side of the lower surface 41c of the mailbox body 41 by a hinge 441. As a result, the removal lid 44 is provided so that the upper end side can be opened forward. As shown in FIG. 3, the removal lid 44 that closes the mail outlet 42 constitutes the front surface of the mailbox 4. That is, the height dimension in the vertical direction of the removal lid 44 is substantially equal to the height dimension in the vertical direction of the mailbox 4. The width dimension in the horizontal direction of the removal lid 44 is substantially equal to the width dimension in the horizontal direction of the mailbox 4.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 4, an upper edge plate portion 421, side edge plate portions 422, 422, and a lower edge plate portion 423 that project forward in an L shape are respectively provided at the upper edge, both side edges, and lower edge of the take-out port 42. The left and right side portions 44b, 44b and the lower end portion 44c of the take-out lid 44 are bent so as to be flush with the both side surfaces 41b, 41b and the lower surface 41c of the receiving box body 41 so as to cover the side edge plate portions 422, 422 and the lower edge plate portion 423 from the outside when the take-out port 42 is closed. As a result, the boundary line between the receiving box body 41 and the take-out lid 44 is not visible from the front side of the mailbox 4, improving the appearance of the mailbox 4 and the gatepost 1. Further, the upper end portion 44a of the take-out lid 44 is slightly bent toward the receiving box body 41 side. This upper end portion 44a is disposed above the upper edge plate portion 421 when the take-out port 42 is closed, as shown in Fig. 9.

[0016] As shown in Figs. 5 and 9, waterproof members 442, 443 made of rubber or the like are provided on the rear surface side of the take-out lid 44. The waterproof member 442 extends horizontally on the upper end side of the rear surface of the take-out lid 44. The waterproof member 442 abuts against the front plate surface 421a of the upper edge plate portion 421 when the take-out lid 44 is in the closed state. The waterproof members 443, 443 extend vertically on both sides of the rear surface of the take-out lid 44. The waterproof members 443, 443 abut against the front plate surfaces 422a, 422a of the both side edge plate portions 422, 422 when the take-out lid 44 is in the closed state. Thereby, the space between the receiving box body 41 and the take-out lid 44 around the take-out port 42 is sealed, preventing rainwater from entering the inside of the receiving box body 41 from the take-out port 42.

[0017] As shown in Figs. 4, 6, and 9, a magnet 424 is provided at the central portion in the width direction of the front plate surface 421a. When the take-out lid 44 closes the take-out port 42, it is attracted by the magnet 424, and the closed state of the take-out port 42 is maintained. The waterproof member 442 is divided into two so as to avoid the magnet 424, as shown in Fig. 5.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, on the rear surface of the take-out lid 44, an L-shaped piece 444 extending in the width direction is provided to protrude rearward below the water-stop material 442. As shown in FIG. 9, the L-shaped piece 444 is disposed below the upper edge plate portion 421 of the receiving box body 41 when the take-out lid 44 is in the closed state. As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 8, a dial-type lock mechanism 45 is provided on the side of the mail slot 43 of the receiving box body 41. The lock mechanism 45 has a lock piece 451 disposed inside the receiving box body 41. The L-shaped piece 444 is provided with a locking hole 444a that engages with the lock piece 451 of the lock mechanism 45. The take-out lid 44 is locked to the receiving box body 41 when the lock piece 451 engages with the locking hole 444a.

[0019] The mail slot 43 opens upward at a position offset toward the front end side of the upper surface 41a of the receiving box body 41. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the mailbox 4 is attached so as to protrude forward with respect to the support frame 2. The mail slot 43 is disposed at a position protruding forward from the support frame 2 on the upper surface 41a side of the receiving box body 41.

[0020] The mail slot 43 is provided at a position one step lower than the height of the upper surface 41a of the receiving box body 41. The dimension of the mail slot 43 in the width direction is smaller than the dimension of the receiving box body 41 in the width direction. The receiving box body 41 is provided with a rim plate 431 that protrudes upward so as to surround the periphery of the mail slot 43. The upper end of the rim plate 431 is disposed slightly below the position of the upper surface 41a of the receiving box body 41.

[0021] The insertion slot 43 is provided with an upper lid 46 that can cover the entire surface of the insertion slot 43 so as to be openable and closable. The upper lid 46 is attached to the receiving box body 41 such that the front end side can be opened upward above the insertion slot 43. The upper lid 46 is made of, for example, a flat metal plate with a thickness of 1.2 mm. The upper lid 46 covers the entire insertion slot 43 and extends across the entire length in the width direction of the receiving box body 41. That is, both side ends 46b, 46b of the upper lid 46 are arranged on the extension lines in the surface direction of both side surfaces 41b, 41b of the receiving box body 41. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the upper lid 46 is provided so as to fit into the part where the mailbox 4 protrudes forward from the support frame 2.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 9, when the insertion slot 43 is closed, the front end portion 46a of the upper lid 46 slightly extends forward beyond the extraction lid 44 that constitutes the front surface of the mailbox 4. This extended portion forms a handle portion 461 for opening and closing the upper lid 46. If the extension amount E of the upper lid 46 is too large, it may damage the appearance of the mailbox 4, and if it is too small, it will be difficult to open and close the upper lid 46. Therefore, the extension amount E can be, for example, 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, mounting bases 462, 462 for rotatably attaching the upper lid 46 to the receiving box body 41 are respectively provided at both ends of the back surface of the upper lid 46. The outer side surfaces 462a, 462a of the mounting bases 462, 462 are arranged on the extension lines in the surface direction of both side surfaces 41b, 41b of the receiving box body 41. Buffer materials 462b, 462b made of rubber or the like are respectively provided on the lower surfaces of the mounting bases 462, 462. The buffer materials 462b, 462b relieve the impact when the upper lid 46 is closed and suppress the generation of abnormal noises.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the mounting bases 462, 462 are rotatably attached to brackets 432, 432 provided on the rear sides on both sides of the rim plate 431 of the receiving box body 41 by rotation shafts 463, 463. The inner end portions 463a, 463a of the rotation shafts 463, 463 are restricted from moving inward by the shaft portions 433a, 433a of screws 433, 433 that penetrate the rear rim plate 431 from the letter slot 43 side. Thereby, the rotation shafts 463, 463 are prevented from coming off.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a waterstop member 464 made of rubber or the like is provided on the back side of the upper lid 46. The waterstop member 464 extends across the width direction of the upper lid 46. As shown in FIG. 9, the waterstop member 464 abuts against the upper surface plate 431a that is bent forward at a right angle from the upper end of the front rim plate 431 in the closed state of the upper lid 46. Thereby, between the receiving box body 41 and the upper lid 46 is sealed on the front side of the letter slot 43, and rainwater is prevented from entering the inside of the receiving box body 41 from the letter slot 43.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 9, the closed upper lid 46 is arranged flush with the upper surface 41a of the receiving box body 41. The handle portion 461 of the upper lid 46 is also arranged flush with the upper surface 41a of the receiving box body 41. The outer surfaces 462a, 462a of the mounting bases 462, 462 of the upper lid 46 are arranged flush with both side surfaces 41b, 41b of the receiving box body 41. Further, the upper end portion 44a of the extraction lid 44 in the closed state protrudes slightly above the upper surface plate 431a and is arranged close to the back surface 46c of the closed upper lid 46. Thereby, the gaps visually recognized when observing the mailbox 4 from the front, top, and side are minimized. Moreover, the extraction lid 44 and the upper lid 46 do not protrude significantly in the front, upper, and side directions of the mailbox 4, and only the handle portion 461 of the upper lid 46 protrudes slightly by the thickness of the upper lid 46 made of a flat plate. Therefore, when viewed from the front, the mailbox 4 has a neat overall appearance.

[0027] Next, the effects of the gatepost 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

[0028] The gatepost 1 of the present embodiment includes a pair of columns 21, 21, a panel member 3 attached between the pair of columns 21, 21, and a mailbox 4 attached between the pair of columns 21, 21 and disposed close to or in contact with the lower side of the panel member 3. The mailbox 4 has a mailbox main body 41, a letter slot 43 that opens upward from the mailbox main body 41, and an upper lid 46 that is attached to the letter slot 43 so that the front end portion 46a side can be opened upward. The letter slot 43 and the upper lid 46 are disposed in front of the mailbox main body 41 rather than the panel member 3. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, even when the upper lid 46 is opened to insert mail M, the opened upper lid 46 does not interfere with the panel member 3. Since the mailbox 4 is disposed close to or in contact with the panel member 3, a large gap is not formed between the panel member 3 and the mailbox 4. Therefore, according to the gatepost 1 of the present embodiment, the design appearance can be further improved.

[0029] In the gatepost 1 of the present embodiment, the upper lid 46 has a handle portion 461 that extends forward from a removal lid 44 that forms the front surface of the mailbox 4. The handle portion 461 is formed flush with the upper surface 41a of the mailbox main body 41. Therefore, the opening and closing operation of the upper lid 46 can be performed by hanging a finger on the handle portion 461. According to this, a member that protrudes greatly from the upper surface of the mailbox 4 is not formed, and when the mailbox 4 is observed from the front, the appearance of the mailbox 4 can be made clean, and the visibility of the panel member 3 disposed above the mailbox 4 is not impaired. Therefore, the design appearance of the gatepost 1 can be further improved.

[0030] In the gatepost 1 of the present embodiment, the upper lid 46 is formed of a flat plate. Therefore, the upper lid 46 and the handle portion 461 extend forward from the mailbox 4 by only the thickness of the flat plate. As a result, the upper lid 46 is not conspicuous in the mailbox 4, and the design appearance of the gatepost 1 can be further improved.

[0031] In the pillar 1 of the present embodiment, on the front side of the receiving box body 41, there is a removal lid 44 whose upper end portion 44a can be opened forward. The upper end portion 44a of the removal lid 44 is arranged close to the back surface 46c of the upper lid 46. As a result, the gap between the removal lid 44 and the upper lid 16 that is visually recognized when the mailbox 4 is observed from the front can be minimized, and the design appearance of the pillar 1 can be further improved.

Explanation of Signs

[0032] 1 Pillar, 3 Panel member, 4 Mailbox, 21 Support column, 41 Receiving box body, 41a Upper surface, 43 Mail slot, 44 Removal lid, 44a Upper end portion, 46 Upper lid, 46a Front end portion, 46c Back surface, 461 Handle portion

Claims

【Claim 1】 A pair of columns, A panel member attached between the pair of columns, A mailbox attached between the pair of columns and disposed close to or in contact with the lower side of the panel member, comprising: The mailbox has a mailbox body, a slot opening upward above the mailbox body, an upper lid attached to the front end side of the slot so as to be openable upward, and a withdrawal lid disposed on the front side of the mailbox body and openable forward at the upper end side. The slot and the upper lid are disposed in front of the mailbox body with respect to the panel member. The upper lid is formed of a flat plate, and the upper surface of the upper lid in the closed state is flush with the upper surface of the mailbox body and extends forward from the front surface of the mailbox body. A handrail portion flush with the upper surface of the mailbox body is formed on the upper lid by a portion extending forward from the front surface of the mailbox body. The upper lid in the closed state is disposed so as to cover the upper end portion of the withdrawal lid in the closed state from above, a gatepost.

Images