GB2361962A

GB2361962A - Door key hanger

Info

Publication number: GB2361962A
Application number: GB0010707A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rodney To
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-05-03
Filing date: 2000-05-03
Publication date: 2001-11-07
Anticipated expiration: 2020-05-03
Also published as: GB2361962B; GB0010707D0

Abstract

A door key hanger that prevents a person from locking themselves out of the house without a key comprises bracket 1, pivotal member 2, and stop member 5, fixed to the door-frame 11. When placed on the hanger the weight of the key 13 causes the pivotal member 2 to pivot about a horizontal pin 3 resulting in stop member 5 blocking the path of the shutting door 12. The stop member 5 can be rigid with the main body of pivotal member 2, or, as shown, it can be pivotally mounted to it by a pin 6 having an associated spring 7 urging the stop member to its stop position. This spring-loaded version allows the door to open even when the key is on the hanger, but it will prevent the door from closing unless the key is removed. When the key is removed, pivotal member 2 pivots so that the stop member is clear of the door.

Description

2361962 DOOR KEY HANGER This invention relates to a door key hanger which,

if installed correctly on the doorframe, could help prevent a person from locking himself out of the house without a key. This problem arises with the type of door lock which locks automatically on closure of the door but requires a key to unlock it.

According to the present invention, there is provided a door key hanger for use in preventing closure of a door without first removing a key which, in use, is supported by the hanger and can be used for unlocking the door, the door key hanger comprising a bracket adapted for mounting on a door-frame, a pivotal member pivotally mounted on the bracket for pivoting about an axis which, in use, is generally horizontal, the pivotal member having at one end thereof support means for supporting the key and at the other end thereof stop means, the pivotal member being pivotal, in use, by the weight of the key when present to a stop position in which the stop means lies in the path of the door to prevent closure of the door, and pivotal, in use, by its own weight when the key is not present to a release position in which the stop means is clear of the door.

According to one embodiment, the stop means of the pivotal member comprises a stop member portion rigid with a main body portion of the pivotal member, the main body portion carrying the said support means. In this embodiment, both closing and opening of the door are prevented, in use, when the pivotal member is in its stop position.

According to the preferred embodiment, however, the stop means of the pivotal member comprises a stop member pivoted to a main body of the pivotal member about a further axis which, in use, is generally vertical when the pivotal member is in its stop position, the stop member being urged to pivot about said further axis by a spring to a position in which, in use, it lies in the path of the door when the pivotal member is in its stop position. In this embodiment, closing, but not opening, of the door is prevented, in use, when the pivotal member is in its stop position.

The preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 shows a front view of the hanger mounted on a door-frame with the pivotal member in the release position with the key not present.

Figure 2 shows a similar view but with the key in place and the pivotal member in the stop position.

2 Figure 3 is a section on AA of Figure 2 illustrating the direction of travel of the springloaded stop member.

The hanger as shown in the drawings comprises a bracket I adapted for fastening to the inside edge of a door-frame I I by means of two wood screws, The hanger is designed to act as a hanger for a key used to operate the lock of the associated door 12. A pivotal member 2 is pivotally mounted on the bracket I by means of a pivot pin 3. This allows pivoting movement of the pivotal member 2 about an axis which, in use, is generally horizontal and perpendicular to the general plane of the door when closed. The pivotal member 2 has a key support pin 4 at one end designed for supporting a key 13 thereon so that the key can be easily placed on and removed from it. The pin 4 has an enlarged head to prevent the key from falling off it. At the other end of the pivotal member 2 is a stop member 5. The stop member 5 is pivotally mounted by a pin 6 to the pivotal member 2. The stop member 5 is urged by a spring 7 to a position in which it lies generally in the plane of the pivotal member 2. A stop 8 is engageable with pivotal member 2 to limit finiher anti-clockwise movement of the pivotal member 2 caused by the weight of the key, thus maintaining the stop member 5 in its stop position to stop the door from closing.

The hanger is designed so that when the key is removed from the hanger, the weight of the stop member 5 causes the pivotal member 2 to move to the release position as shown in Figure 1. In this position, the stop member 5 is clear of the door so that the door can be opened and closed without impediment.

When the key is placed upon the support pin 4, the weight of the key causes the pivotal member 2 to pivot to the stop position as shown in Figure 2. In this position, the stop member lies in the path of the door so that the door cannot be closed.

The hanger operates as follows. If a person leaving the house removes the key from the hanger, the pivotal member 2 moves to the release position, and the door can be opened and then closed. However, if the person forgets to remove the key from the hanger, the pivotal member 2 remains in the stop position, and the door cannot be closed. In this way, the hanger prevents the person from locking himself out of the house.

When the key is on the hanger, the door can still be opened from inside or outside the house, because the pivotal mounting of the stop member 5 on the pivotal member 2 allows the door to push the spring-loaded stop member 5 out of the path of the door as it is opened. This is illustrated in Figure 3, where arrow 9 shows the direction of travel of the door, and arrow 10 shows the direction of travel of the stop member 5 as it is being pushed by the opening door.

3 Clearly the device will only work if the person coming home remembers every time to hang up the key after he has closed the door behind him.

Two versions of the hanger can be provided for left- or right-hinged doors.

Claims

1 A door key hanger for use in preventing closure of a door without first removing a key which, in use, is supported by the hanger and can be used for unlocking the door, the door key hanger comprising a bracket adapted for mounting on a door-frame, a pivotal member pivotally mounted on the bracket for pivoting about an axis which, in use, is generally horizontal, the pivotal member having at one end thereof support means for supporting the key and at the other end thereof stop means, the pivotal member being pivotal, in use, by the weight of the key when present to a stop position in which the stop means lies in the path of the door to prevent closure of the door, and pivotal, in use, by its own weight when the key is not present to a release position in which the stop means is clear of the door.

2 A door key hanger as claimed in Claim 1, in which the stop means of the pivotal member comprises a stop member portion rigid with a main body portion of the pivotal member, the main body portion carrying the said support means.

3 A door key hanger as claimed in Claim 1, in which the stop means of the pivotal member comprises a stop member pivoted to a main body of the pivotal member about a further axis which, in use, is generally vertical when the pivotal member is in its stop position, the stop member being urged to pivot about said further axis by a spring to a position in which, in use, it lies in the path of the door when the pivotal member is in the stop position.

4 A door key hanger substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figures 1-3 of the accompanying drawings.