Mailbox post protector

Abstract

A mailbox or wooden post protector made of a unitary, resistantly-flexible plastic material, having four walls and an opening within one of the walls for installation around the base of the wooden post. A pressure sensitive adhesive is applied to one or both edges at the opening to secure closed the opening after installation.

1 . A post protector comprising a resistantly flexible unitary structure having a periphery defined by a plurality of walls configured to surround a complementary periphery of a wooden post, and having an opening along the periphery of the unitary structure defined by a first wall edge and a second wall edge.  
   
   
       2 . The post protector according to  claim 1  wherein the unitary structure comprises a thermoplastic material, the structure being sufficiently flexible to permit separation of the first and second edges and positioning of the post protector around the base of a wooden post.  
   
   
       3 . The post protector according to  claim 2  wherein the thermoplastic material is selected from Plexi-glass™, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyacrylic.  
   
   
       4 . The post protector according to  claim 2  wherein the first and second edges confront when positioned around the base of the wooden post.  
   
   
       5 . The post protector according to  claim 2  wherein the first and second edges overlap when positioned around the base of the wooden post.  
   
   
       6 . The post protector according to  claim 4  further comprising an adhesive material affixed to a wall edge.  
   
   
       7 . The post protector according to  claim 6  wherein the adhesive material comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive.  
   
   
       8 . The post protector according to  claim 6  wherein the adhesive material is affixed to both the first and second wall edges.  
   
   
       9 . The post protector according to  claim 8  wherein the adhesive material comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive.  
   
   
       10 . The post protector according to  claim 9  further comprising a release film adhered to the pressure-sensitive adhesive prior to positioning of the post protector around the base of a wooden post.  
   
   
       11 . The post protector according to  claim 1  wherein the four walls are upright.  
   
   
       12 . The post protector according to  claim 11  wherein two of the four walls on opposite sides have mirror-image parallelograms where none of the corners of the parallelogram are right angles.  
   
   
       13 . A method of protecting the base of a mailbox or wooden post from wear and abrasion, comprising the step of attaching around the base of the post a post protector according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       14 . A method of protecting the base of a mailbox or wooden post from wear and abrasion, comprising the steps of: providing a resistant unitary structure having a periphery defined by four walls configured to surround a complementary periphery of a wooden post, and having an opening along the periphery of the unitary structure defined by a first wall edge and a second wall edge; separating the first wall edge from the second wall edge; passing the separated wall edges around the base of the post; and bringing together the first and second wall edges, to position the unitary structure around the base of the post.  
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 14  further comprising the step of securing the structure in place around the base by adhering the two wall edges together.  
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the first and second wall edges over-lap, and wherein the step of adhering comprises adhering the confronting surfaces of first and second wall edges.