GB2221943A

GB2221943A - Guard device

Info

Publication number: GB2221943A
Application number: GB8819716A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robin William Campbell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-08-19
Filing date: 1988-08-19
Publication date: 1990-02-21
Also published as: GB8819716D0

Abstract

A guard device for preventing fingers being trapped in the hinge region of a door comprises an elongate strip preferably having a rigid and a flexible region and secured so that it acts to prevent finger entry into the gap between a door and door jamb, and flexes to follow the movement of the door as it is opened and closed. Securing by pressure sensitive adhesive is preferred for convenience and lack of damage caused to the jamb, when provision of a thin flexible region is needed. This flexibility is provided by reducing the thickness of the rigid material used to form the strip or by affixing a flexible plastics material hinge to the rigid guard region.

Description

GUARD DEVICE This invention relates to a finger guard device for a door jamb.

It is well known that the closing action of a door presents a risk of the trapping of fingers in the hinge region.

In particular, the lever action at the hinge side can cause serious injury to fingers trapped therein,especially to children 5 fingers.

Previous designs of finger guards (e.g. U.K. Patent Applications GB 2 019 475 A, GB 2 148 990A and GB 2 164 690 #),have described means to provide a moving barrier to prevent fingers from entering the door jamb when the door is open to any degree. However, these have been complex and would have been expensive and/or unreliable.

According to the present invention there is provided a guard device comprising an alongate strip have one longitudinal edge region capable of being secured to extend along the vertical edge of a door or a door frame (or jamb) and an opposite edge region which may slidingly abut or lie adjacent the surface of a door frame (or jamb) or door respectively; said strip having a resiliently flexible longitudinally extending portion or region and a rigid region or a less flexible and more rigid longitudinally extending portion or region such that, in use, with one edge region secured in position, the other edge region extends across the hinge gap between a door and door frame to abut or lie adjacent the adjacent surface at least in the positions of closing of the door where trapping of fingers may occur; said resiliently flexible region acting as resilient means to permit closure of the door and ensure said sliding abutment.

Also according to the present invention, a finger guard device is made from a single partly flexible and partly more rigid strip or strips, which is affixed to the door jamb and is such as to cover the gap left as the door opens and closes, and maintains its position pressed firmly against the door face by the properties of the flexible part of the device.

The device may be made from any suitable flexible material which preferably has the combined properties which give the following characteristics : 1. The portion of the guard device covering the gap left as the door opens and closes needs to be sufficiently rigid, so as to prevent its collapse when pressed by fingers such as may happen by a playing child.

2. The portion hinging the above rigid portion to the door frame needs to be flexible to give a hinging action and also needs to be springy to keep the above rigid portion pressed against the door as it opens and closes.

3. The hinge portion must not exhibit permanent bending which could cause the rigid portion not to follow the door movement after, for example, an extended period of time with the door shut.

4. The device can be fixed either to the door frame (as shown in Fig. 1) or to the door (as shown in Fig.3).

The method of affixing can be by adhesive, for example, a pressure sensitive adhesive, or by a mechanical means, for example, drawing pins (as in Fig. 6).

5. The device can be made in any length to suit the application, for example from 0.5m long to cover the lower region of the door jamb where children's hands may be, or to cover the whole door jamb height.

6. The device can be made either from a transparent polymer, which enables it to be visually inconspicuous, or coloured, to suit the user's preference.

7. The width of the device can be varied e.g. by cutting to suit the door and door jamb size.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a guard device forming a first embodiment of the invention; Figs. 2a - 2c are horizontal sections through a door hinge and door jamb with the device of Fig. 1 located in position secured to the jamb and with the door being shown, respectively, in the partially open position, the closed position and the more fully open position; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section similar to that of Fig. 2 but in the more fully open position and with an alternative embodiment of guard device; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of the door in the partially open position and with further embodiment of guard device; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a yet further embodiment of guard device attached to the door jamb; and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a still further embodiment of guard device and additional securing means.

A guard device made from laminating together two pieces of plastics material, such as polyester film, is shown in Figs.

1 and 2a - 2c. A strip of film 1 of resiliently flexible material, preferably of polyethylene terephthalete film such as "Melinex 0" (Trade Mark) made by I.C.I. PLC, is illustrated in Fig. 1 and is used to form a hinge portion of the device. A thickness of 0.05 to 0.2 mm, preferably 0.1 to 0.175 mm, gives the desired springiness to the hinge formed by strip 1. A second strip 2' preferably of polyethylene terephthalate film or strip is provided of stiffer material and is laminated onto strip 1 by adhesive 3, such that, in use as in Fig. 2c, the reinforced, more rigid region of the thus bonded strip covers the open area in between the door 5 and the jamb 8, or frame 6 - depending upon the design of the door. The film of strip 2 is preferably 0.3 to 1.0 mm.

thick and preferably 0.4 to 0.6 mm thick, to give the required rigidity. A pressure sensitive adhesive 4 enables the device to be secured to door jamb 8. Figs. 2a to 2c show the action of the guard device as the door is opened and closed. In practice, the device would be sold with a protective peelable strip, for example, silicone impregnated paper, covering the adhesive layer 4. The adhesive may be peelable or permanent depending upon requirements.

The flexible strip 1 does not need to cover the entire surface of the rigid or more rigid strip 3 but will preferably do so to provide a more aesthetic effect.

In Fig. 3 a guard device is illustrated secured to a door and made from laminating together two pieces or strips (1, 7) of polyester film. Similar strips are used as in the device of Figs. 1 and 2a - 2c except that a thicker film or strip 7 is provided and curved to allow the guard device to effectively close the gap between the door.

A guard device is illustrated in Fig. 4 constructed similarly as in Fig. 1 except that in order to enable the device to fit a narrow door jamb, the strip 1 has been heat formed as shown, i.e. bent into the desired shape by heating, bending and cooling again before releasing.

A guard device is illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein the strip is made from a single piece such as of polyester film wherein a flexible region is formed made by thinning the film.

A guard device is illustrated in Fig. 6 comprising a strip formed of a single piece of material of regular thickness, such as polyester film and wherein mechanical fastenings, e.g. drawing pins, are used additionally or independently of any adhesive. The strength of the fastenings is sufficient as to allow a single piece of thick film or strip, e.g. of 0.4 to 1.0 mm thick, preferably 0.4 to 0.5 mm thick, without thinning it, i.e. without a reduced thickness. However there may be a tendency of such to cause damage to the door jamb, which is absent when one of the examples in Figs. 1 to 4 is used.

Claims

1. A guard device comprising an elongate strip having one longitudinal edge region capableofbeingsecuredto extend along the vertical edge of a door or a door frame (or jamb) and an opposite edge region which may slidingly abut or lie adjacent the surface of a door frame (or jamb) or door respectively; said strip having a resiliently flexible, longitudinally extending portion or region and a rigid region or a less flexible and more rigid,longitudinally extending portion or region such that, in use, with one edge region secured in position, the other edge region extends across the hinge gap between a door and door frame to abut or lie adjacent the adjacent surface at least in the position of closing of the door where trapping of fingers may occur; said resiliently flexible region acting as resilient means to permit closure of the door and ensure said sliding abutment.

2. A door jamb finger guard device comprising a strip of material or strips of materials joined together, having a flexible region along at least one edge region and a rigid or more rigid region along at least the opposite edge region, the rigid region being such that, in use, it prevents finger entry into the space between the open door and the door jamb and the flexible region being such as to provide hinge and spring action to hold the rigid region against the door; said strip preferably being securable along one longitudinal region to the door jamb with an adhesive, pins or other securing means.

3. A guard device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the rigid region is made by laminating thick polymer film onto the flexible film which forms the hinge, or by extruding the finished product with a thickness profile as produces said resiliently flexible portion and said more rigid region.

4. A guard device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the strip or strips is or are provided with an adhesive region to enable such to be adhered to the door or frame, and the rigid region is curved to fully shield the space between the open door and the jamb.

5. A guard device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which the flexible region is able in use to be bent back on itself to allow adhesion to and operation with a narrow jamb.

i.e. forms a curved portion away from the door.

6. A guard device as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the strip comprises a single piece of plastics film which is thinned, for example by a heating process, to form a flexible region.

7. A guard device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, in which a single strip of material is provided comprising a single piece of plastics film which is to be rigidly affixed to the door jamb, for example by a mechanical fastener, to avoid the need to provide a thinner hinge region in the guard, wherein since the whole strip is made of the same relatively rigid material, adhesive may not be adequate as securing means and a mechanical fastener will be needed to hold the guard in place.

8. A guard device comprising an elongate strip of plastics or other material securable to a door or door frame along one side and being of such rigidity and flexibility as to extend across the hinge region as to permit the door to open and close whilst being sufficiently resilient to maintain a covering function across the trapping space.

9. A finger guard device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A finger guard device comprising an elongate strip of sufficient length so as to be securable along the vertical edge of a door or door frame and extending therealong for sufficient length as to preclude likelihood of a child placing its fingers in the hinge region, said elongate strip having one longitudinal edge region capable of being secured, preferably by nails or pins, to the door or door frame, and said strip being of sufficient width as to extend across the space between the door and door frame; said strip of material being sufficiently flexible as to enable the unsecured edge to slide against the adjacent supporting surface in the closing position whilst flexing at the same time, and being sufficiently resilient as to maintain contact with said sliding surface during opening of the door for at least a substantial portion of said opening.

11. A guard device as claimed in claim 10 in which said elongate strip is of constant thickness and is secured by mechanical fastening means.