AU2005201657A1 - Hinging door protector - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION HINGING DOOR PROTECTOR The following statement is a full description of this invention, Including the best method of performing it known to me 8 HINGING DOOR PROTECTOR This invention relates to a hinging door protector which has particular use in protecting the hands and/or fingers of children from injury.

Various makeshift attempts have been made to avoid or prevent injury to the hands and/or fingers of a child where the child has inserted its hands and/or fingers accidentally into the hinging portion of a door. These attempts include the tacking or glueing of strips of carpet into Othe hinging portion of the door. Such a procedure has the disadvantages that the door Sbecomes difficult to shut and/or the hands or fingers are incompletely protected.

SSeveral patent specifications are also relevant: PCTINLOO/00506 (WO 01109474 Al) R.F.MARCUS This specification discloses a two part transparent plastic door safety strip, wherein the centrally disposed main protecting strip is rigid to bending and is provided with flexible S-formed connecting parts to the flanges at both sides.

NL 9301278 LENTON HENDRICK This discloses an attachment strip for the hinge side of doors to prevent fingers being trapped.

The relevant strip may be fabricated in a single extrusion. This specification does not appear to disclose a reinforcing region on each side of the strip to prevent detachment of the edge of the strip from the door.

The term "door" used in the present specification refers to vertically or horizontally hinged doors, vertically or horizontally hinged windows and other like arrangements or mechanisms.

In this specification the term "hinging portion" is defined as that region between the door edge and the corresponding jamb.

Furthermore, in this specification the term "corresponding outer parts of the hinging portion" refers to the major face of the door and the stopping part of the jamb as a whole respectively.

Accordingly this invention provides a hinging door protector which comprises a central, longitudinal strip of flexible or resilient material wherein each side of the strip is provided with a reinforcing region to prevent detachment of the edges of the strip from the door and wherein the protector may be arranged approximately parallel to the major axis of a hinge or hinges 3 defining the hinging portion of the door and wherein the strip may be secured to one or more corresponding outer parts of the hinging portion and is adapted to bow outwardly with respect to the hinging portion, thus preventing hands and/or fingers from entering the hinging portion of the door.

Preferably the reinforcing regions are attached to corresponding outer parts of the hinging portions by glueing or by means of nails, pins or screws.

More preferably the reinforcing regions are formed by relatively flexible metal bar.

Yet more preferably the metal bars are inserted into the remainder of the door protector by an extrusion process or a welding process.

This invention further provides a method of preventing hands and/or fingers from entering the hinging portion of a door which comprises arranging a strip of flexible or resilient material, wherein each side of the strip is provided with a reinforcing region to prevent detachment of the edge of the strip for the door, along the major axis of a hinge or hinges defining the hinging portion of the door and securing the strip to corresponding outer parts of the hinging portion by means of each reinforcing portion, wherein the strip is adapted to bow outwardly with respect to the hinge or hinges thus preventing hands and/or fingers from entering the hinging portion of the door.

This invention also provides a kit of parts which, when assembled, prevents hands and/or fingers from entering the hinging portion of a door which comprises a somewhat flexible or resilient strip wherein each side of the strip is provided with a reinforcing region to prevent detachment of the edge of the strip from the door, which kit, when secured to corresponding outer parts of the hinging portion, is adapted to bow outwardly with respect to the hinge or hinges, thus preventing hands and/or fingers from entering the hinging portion of the door.

A suitable material from which the strip may be made is a plastics material, for example, that designated PVCO 7505, Type 11502, clear, soft. Its thickness is 0.75mm.A typical length for the strip is 1.2 to 1.5m but, for greater protection, the whole length of the door may be safeguarded.

The strip of plastics material is conveniently formed by extrusion.

4 Turning to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention: Fig. 1. is a view from the side of the door, door jamb and hinging door protector according to the invention.

Fig.2. is a side view of the hinging door protector according to the invention.

In Fig.1. numeral 10 indicates a jamb and 11 a door. Numeral 12 indicates a hinge. Numeral 13 indicates a strip of somewhat springy, flexible material and numerals 14 and 15 respective reinforcing regions. Numeral 16 refers to a hole through which a securing means (not shown) can be inserted to fasten the hinging door protector to the side of a door.

It should be realised that the embodiments described above are a mere illustration of the invention, the full scope of which is to be understood from the general statement of invention set out above.

Claims (9)

1. A hinging door protector which comprises a central, longitudinal strip of flexible or resilient material wherein each side of the strip is provided with a reinforcing region to prevent detachment of the edges of the strip from the door and wherein the protector may be arranged approximately parallel to the major axis of a hinge or hinges defining the hinging portion of the door and wherein the strip may be secured to one or more corresponding outer parts of the hinging portion and is adapted to bow outwardly with respect to the hinging portion, thus preventing hands and/or fingers from entering the hinging portion of the door.

2. A hinging door protector as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the reinforcing regions are attached to corresponding outer parts of the hinging portion by glueing or by means of nails, pins or screws.

3. A hinging door protector as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the reinforcing regions are formed by relatively flexible metal bars.

4. A hinging door protector is claimed in Claim 4 wherein the metal bars are inserted into the remainder of the door protector by an extrusion or a welding process.

A hinging door protector as claimed in Claim 1 substantially as described in the body of the specification.

6. A method of preventing hands and/or fingers from entering the hinging portion of a door which comprises arranging a strip of flexible or resilient material wherein each side of the strip has a reinforcing region as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 5 along the major axis of a hinge or hinges defining the hinging portion of the door and securing the strip by means of the reinforcing regions to corresponding outer parts of the hinging portion wherein the central, longitudinal strip is adapted to bow outwardly with respect to the hinge or hinges thus preventing hands and/or fingers from entering the hinging portion of the door.

7. A method as claimed in Claim 6, substantially as described in the body of the specification.,

8. A kit of parts which, when assembled, prevents hands and/or fingers from entering the hinging portion of a door which comprises a somewhat flexible or resilient strip wherein each side of the strip is provided with a reinforcing region to prevent detachment of the edge of the strip from the door, which strip, when secured to corresponding outer parts of the hinging portion, is adapted to bow outwardly with respect to the hinge or hinges, thus preventing hands and/or fingers from entering the hinging portion of the door.

9. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9, substantially as described in the body of the specification. Dated i 2005 MARJO (AUST.) PTY LTD. By their Registered Patent Attorney JAMES MURRAY