GB2133829A

GB2133829A - Child-proof catches

Info

Publication number: GB2133829A
Application number: GB08301786A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Paul Stephens
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-01-22
Filing date: 1983-01-22
Publication date: 1984-08-01
Also published as: EP0132435A1; WO1984002946A1; AU2433884A; GB8301786D0

Abstract

A chid-proof catch comprises a male member and a female member, one to be mounted on each of two relatively movable parts to be held in a fixed but releasable engagement. One of the members has two resilient limbs (16) with inclined surfaces (18) on their ends which inclined surfaces are complementary to inclined surfaces (14) on the other member so the limbs are deflected when the members are engaged together. On full engagement catch surfaces lock the two members together. The catch surfaces can be disengaged to allow the members to be separated.

Description

SPECIFICATION Child-proof catches The present invention concerns catches for doors and the like to prevent them being opened by children and especially toddlers.

It is difficult to stop toddlers with their enquiring minds gaining access to cupboards which can contain poisons such as bleaches and to refrigerators and breaking say eggs without going to the extent of padlocks which make normal access by adults tedious with the adults having to carry bunches of keys.

The present invention provides a catch for doors and the like to prevent them being opened by children comprising a male member and a female member, one of the members to be mounted on the door or the like and one on the door frame or like immovable part, and both of the members having complementary inclined surfaces with one of the members comprising two limbs each having some resiliency whereby during engagement of the two members the two limbs are wedged apart or together, the two members also having complementary catch surfaces so that after full engagement of the two members the resiliency of the limbs causes the catch surfaces to engage preventing the disengagement of the two members and the limbs being arranged so that with the catch surfaces engaged the limbs project through and beyond the other member so that the ends of the limbs can be squeezed together to disengage the catch surfaces and permit disengagement of the two members.

The catch of the present invention is basically intended for use as an auxiliary catch for refrigerators so that a door to be opened needs one hand to operate a main catch and one hand to operate the auxiliary catch. The auxiliary catch can be designed so the limbs need a large hand (i.e. not a child's hand) to span the two limbs and apply a squeeze to release the catch surfaces or a powerful grip or a combination of the two.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a side view on a female member, Figure 2 is a side view on a male member, and Figure 3 is a section on line Ill-Ill of Figure 2 of a male member engaged with the female member.

The female member shown in Figure 1 is a onepiece moulding of ABS plastics material comprising a base 11 to be stuck on a vertical edge of a refrigerator door remote from the hinges of that door, two walls 1 3 outstanding from the base, and a bridge piece 1 4 generally in the form of a short length of rectangular tube the small sides (the walls 13) taper inwardly with the broader end of the tube being cut away on one of the long sides to leave the bridge piece 14. The internal surfaces 1 5 of the walls 13 thus converge and can be used as wedging surfaces due to their inclination.

The male member shown in Figure 2 is a onepiece moulding of ABS plastics material essentially and comprises a mounting block 1 6 and two limbs 17 extending from the block 1 6.

The block 1 6 is conveniently made hollow and one way of achieving a neat appearance is to have a clip-in lid 18 which, whilst a second piece, does not really affect the integrity of the male member. The two limbs 17 are about 6 2 cm long and each has a U-shaped section over the greater part of its length of 1 cm by 6 mm with a wall thickness of 2 mm leaving another 2 mm between the legs of the U. The free ends of the limbs are in the form of single-sided barbs 19 having blunt tips 20 from which run outwardly inclined surfaces 21 on the outer face of the limbs back to a step, shoulder or catch surface 22 transverse-to the limb on each limb.These inclined surfaces complement the inclined surfaces 1 5 but can and preferably are patterned as by transverse ribbing (not shown) to give a convenient grip or feel when the surfaces are squeezed together manually. A stop arrangement comprising a leg 23 extending inwardly from each limb, one leg having a notched end and the other a pointed end so when the limbs are squeezed together the legs engage to prevent excess squeezing without any danger of the legs slipping off each other. This stop arrangement should be dimensioned so as to allow barely the catch surfaces to pass through the female member.The stiffness of the limbs should be such as to require at least 1.5 kilograms squeezing pressure to engage the stop legs and this in combination with a spacing of 3.50 cm between the surfaces 21 should render the catch toddlerproof; it is to be remarked that when the members are engaged only the barbs 19 project from the female member and these barbs are too small to gripped with the full hand.

Figure 3 illustrates the member stuck to the side (shown in chain dash line 25) of a refrigerator remote from the hinges with one member being on the fixed side of the refrigerator and one on the door edge by means of an adhesive applied to a face each of the members. This adhesive is shown on an enlarged scale at 26 and the members as sold would have this adhesive protected by a tearoff layer. The female member can be stuck to the edge of the door and this will present the barbs for manual release in the most convenient manner and with less risk of catching clothing on the barbs but sometimes it may be preferred to have the male member attached to the door edge to conceal the manner of disengagement. This figure also illustrates that the legs need only be small and that some clearance is provided between the limbs and the bridge (this clearance allows for the angular motion as the members engage and the amount of clearance needed for this can be reduced by altering the dimensions of the bridge).

The catch members are preferabiy made of white plastics material to match the conventional refrigerator colour.

The described catch can be adapted for use with cupboards without access to the outside wall by attaching the male member inside the cupboard with the barbs projecting through a hole cut in the door.

Claims

1. A catch for doors and the like to prevent them being opened by children comprising a male member and a female member, one of the members to be mounted on the door or the like and one on the door frame or like immovable part, and both of the members having complementary inclined surfaces with one of the members comprising two limbs having some resiliency whereby on engagement of the two members the two limbs are wedged apart or together, the two members also having complementary catch surfaces so that on engagement of the two members the resiliencies of the limbs engage the catch surfaces preventing the disengagement of the two members and the limbs being arranged so that with the catch surfaces engaged the limbs of the one member project through and beyond the other member.

2. A catch for doors and the like according to claim 1 wherein the member with the limbs is the male member.

3. A catch according to claim 2 wherein the male member comprises a base portion from which the two limbs project substantially parallel and for an equal distance, the two limbs having barb-like provisions near their free ends and on the outer sides, these provisions each having an inclined wedging surface terminating in a shoulder forming a catch surface and the female member having inclined surfaces internally for engagement by the male member's inclined wedging surfaces which internal inclined surfaces terminate in catch surfaces.

4. A catch according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the male and female members are provided with adhesive whereby they can be stuck onto the door, door frame or the like.

5. A catch substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.