Design me this gadget!

[cheeryble]

Hi designers!

I put this in General topics to keep my audience of potential ideas-folk as large as possible.

We are on a condominium committee.

We are doing some renovations and one thing is a new set of 120 mailboxes.

We have decided clear acrylic doors are not suitable, it is in the main reception, and hundreds of letters all different will look not great, and in any case the acrylic has to be hinged and can scratch. The doors will probably be laminated particle board (properly done) so a little vertical slot window is also not suitable (if you disagree please show us how!)

So we decided on simple boxes, about 140mm high and 250mm wide, with a slot at the top to post letters and so you can see your mail but a hand can't get in to steal easily, so the door must be unlocked.

The devil is in the detail, and I am already thinking we need a small plate, perhaps formica, behind each lock so keys don't scratch the doors

One more thing I think would be great would be some little thing which did the same job as a flag on garden letterboxes in the US.

Obviously we don't want a flag, but some little gadget so you can walk past and see if you got mail instantly.

I first thought of a little thing which turned and showed plain stainless or red.

Hey it's completely open can be anything.....we just want it

1. Simple and reliable for decades

2. Will stay looking good and/or can be cleaned

2. Obtainable

3. Reasonably cheap.

Once again, if there's a way to see the actual letters themselves such as the door being slightly smaller on the horizontal dimension, please show us! Just thinking a little gadget IF we can do it easily would be a great solution.

Whilst we're at it how does one go about numbering the doors for 120 boxes stylishly?

Thanks!

If we get some great ideas they can be posted visually for all to see!

If not well they can still look in the slot each day!!!

Edited August 19, 2013 by cheeryble

[7by7]

You seem to be making it overly complicated.

What's wrong with something like this: there must be plenty of places in Thailand who can supply similar.

[NeverSure]

I see red metal flags on rural mailboxes for the mail man to put up when there's mail, but the checking requires walking some distance or stopping the car on the side of the road.

I neighborhoods and apartment buildings there are no flags. You just check your box by opening it as you go by.

There are pre-fab stainless or powder coated box clusters available in any number you need, with numbers already routed into each door. Like THIS:

Edit: 7by7 beat me to it.

Edited August 19, 2013 by NeverSure

[mca]

I tell you Op that condo committee you're on sure now how to PAAAAAAARTY!

[mogandave]

Just make the doors out of perforated stainless steel, and them people can see when they have mail.

Or bore holes in the SG partical board you want to use.

[Morakot]

Here a nice built-in design, with metal/ wood front.

Alternately you might want to go for the latests vintage style...

Edited August 19, 2013 by Morakot

[cheeryble]

Thankyou for telling me I can buy premade modular mailboxes with pictures from websites abroad.

If you can suggest a supplier in Thailand I would like that.

[cheeryble]

How about something like this?

[stoneyboy]

Yes trying to invent something which already exists seems a bit silly to me.

[krisb]

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1377171179.257299.jpg

How about something like this?

<deleted> is that, a flux capacitor?

[cheeryble]

Yes trying to invent something which already exists seems a bit silly to me.

Oh you know where we can buy them?