AU2003201289A1 - A barrier - Google Patents

Description

TITLE: A BARRIER THIS INVENTION relates to a door, gate or like barrier. In particular, it is directed to a barrier that finds especial, but not limiting, use as a barrier to prevent easy access by children to a swimming pool.

In Australia, local Councils' regulations require that all swimming pools be surrounded by a suitable protective fence or similar and that access through the fence by any door or gate must include a 'child-proof self-closing latching system.

If the swimming pool is located within a suitably large ground area, and can be sufficiently spaced from any building, erection of a protective fence around that pool may not intrude too greatly on the available ground area. However, problems arise when a pool is to be located close to a house or similar building, either by design or because of the limited ground area available, for example, to owners of units, townhouses and the like. In such instances, the protective fence is often close to an existing door of a house. This is undesirable as the proximity of the fence to the house is usually aesthetically displeasing and it is also inconvenient to have to open the door of the house and then virtually immediately open a gate to access the pool surrounds.

Unfortunately, a significant number of pool owners either fail to install the required fence or install a temporary fence which is then dismantled after it has passed Council inspection. The reasons for this include the cost of fencing and associated mechanical child-proof self-closing latching mechanisms; and the problems discussed above when a pool is to be located within a small ground area or close to a house or similar building.

It is thus a general object to overcome, or at least ameliorate, one or more of the above-mentioned disadvantages.

The present inventor has developed a barrier which can be affixed to or adjacent an existing building and which can not only function as a normal entrance/exit door for the building but also as a security gate for a swimming pool installed within the grounds of the building.

According to the present invention, there is provided a barrier which can be affixed to or positioned close to an exterior wall of a building to span an opening of the type which can accommodate a door in said opening, said barrier including: a first support; a second support spaced from said first support; and a self-closing, self-latching door mounted between said first support and said second support; wherein said first support, said second support and said door are each adapted to be spaced externally from said wall.

Preferably, said first support and said second support are affixed to said wall only at or near the top of said opening.

Preferably, said door is hinged at said first support.

3 Preferably, said door is fitted with a self-latching latch in operable connection with said second support.

Preferably, said self-latching latch is a magnetic latch.

Preferably, said magnetic latch is operable from either side of said door.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: FIG. 1 is a top view of a barrier of the invention affixed to the exterior wall of a building; FIG. 2 is a front view of the barrier of FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is a side view of the barrier of FIGS. 1 2.

With reference to the three figures, an existing wall of a house includes a door recess which, in this embodiment, accommodates a pair of glass sliding doors The upper edges of the doors (2a,b) are held in an upper track Spanning the recess, external to the wall is installed the barrier of the present invention.

The barrier comprises a first frame member fixed at one side of the recess.

Typically, this firstframe member is manufactured from aluminum box section of dimensions 80mm x 25mm. A second frame member of L-shaped crosssection, conveniently manufactured from two aluminium box sections of dimensions 80mm x 25mm held together by an angle section is fixed at the opposite side of the recess. The respective upper ends of the first and 4 second frame members 5a,b) are fixed to a head frame member (19) (FIG.

3) and the respective lower ends of the first and second frame members (4, are fixed to a base sill member (18) (FIGS. 2 If required, the underside of the sill member (18) can be affixed to spacing angle members (21) (FIGS. 2 3) to space the sill member (18) from the ground surface upon which the house is built. The head frame member (19) is fixed by any convenient means known in the art to the track A door which may incorporate a security grille and/or a fly screen, is of dimensions sufficient to be accommodated between the first frame member and second frame member One edge of the door is hinged to the arm (5a) of the second frame member (5a,b) with a self-closing-hinge A first L-shaped extrusion is fitted to the end of the arm (5a) of the second frame member and incorporates a first flexible sealing strip (10) to prevent draughts from entering the building when the door is in a closed position. At the other edge of the door one half (11) of a magnetic latch is affixed. The other half (12) of the latch is affixed to a plate (13) which, in turn, is affixed to the first frame member A suitable magnetic latch is that marketed as the MAGNA-LATCH by D D TECHNOLOGIES which has been suitably modified to enable the latch to be operated from either side of the door A second L-shaped extrusion (14) is fitted to the end of the arm and incorporates a second flexible sealing strip (15) to prevent draughts from entering the house when the door is in a closed position. A third L-shaped extrusion (16) is fitted to the end of the arm (5b) and incorporates a third flexible sealing strip (17) which prevents draughts from entering the house between the second frame member (5a,b) and doors (2a,b) at all times. A fourth flexible sealing strip (20) is fitted to the door (FIGS. 2 3) to prevent draughts from entering the house when the door is in a closed position.

In use, release of the magnetic latch (11,12) enables the door to be swung inwards. On release, the self-closing hinge moves the door to the closed position whereupon the magnetic latch (11,12) is re-engaged.

As the barrier is fitted externally of the building alignment, this configuration meets most local Councils' requirements with respect to the fitting of a security barrier which allows access to a swimming pool from a house.

Further, as the barrier is entirely enclosed within a frame and the ground surface when in a closed position, it is not possible to climb over, or slide under, or swing on the barrier in contrast with the more traditional separate gate-type barrier. The barrier of the present invention is thus subject to much less distortion and wear and tear than the prior art gates.

If the barrier is to be installed in a new house during construction, it can be constructed as a normal entrance door, as a security door or as a fly screen door and, therefore, its cost of construction and installation can be offset against the doors and windows that might otherwise have been required.

It will be appreciated that the above described embodiments are only exemplification of the various aspects of the present invention and that modifications and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the inventive concept as defined in the following claims.

Claims (7)

1. A barrier which can be affixed to or positioned close to an exterior wall of a building to span an opening of the type which can accommodate a door in said opening, said barrier including: a first support; a second support spaced from said first support; and a self-closing, self-latching door mounted between said first support and said second support; wherein said first support, said second support and said door are each adapted to be spaced externally from said wall.

2. A barrier as defined in Claim 1 wherein said first support and said second support are affixed to said wall only at or near the top of said opening.

3. A barrier as defined in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said door is hinged at said first support.

4. A barrier as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein said door is fitted with a self-latching latch in operable connection with said second support.

A barrier as defined in Claim 4 wherein said self-latching latch is a magnetic latch.

6. A barrier as defined in Claim 5 wherein said magnetic latch is operable from either side of said door.

7. A barrier as defined in Claim 1 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing. DATED THIS 14th DAY OF March 2003 SKOMBA; Brian Raymond by his Patent Attorney Dr Kevin M Pullen