GB2445949A

GB2445949A - Door handle locking device

Info

Publication number: GB2445949A
Application number: GB0701595A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Mchugh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-01-27
Filing date: 2007-01-27
Publication date: 2008-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 2027-01-27
Also published as: GB0701595D0; GB2445949B

Abstract

A door handle locking device comprises a support member 1 securable to the door 2, an elongated strut consisting of a shorter lower portion 4 and a longer upper portion 5 connected together by a hinge 6, and a door handle restraining device located at the top end of the upper portion of the strut. The device is in its non-operating position when the upper portion of the strut is folded backwards and downwards over the lower portion of the strut, and is in its operating position when the longer upper portion of the strut is unfolded upwards to a substantially vertical position in which the restraining device engages the door handle to render it immoveable. The restraining device may comprise a spring-loaded steel ball 11 or a spring clip (14, Fig. 5) to engage the handle. The restraining device may consist of an L-shaped bracket 12, 13 to engage a lever type handle 3, a U-shaped bracket (20, Fig. 8) with locking bar (24, Fig. 8)) to engage a round handle (21, Fig. 8), or an oval hemisphere (36, Fig. 11) with its cut top away to engage an oval handle (37, Fig. 11).

Description

DOOR HANDLE LOCKING DEVICE

This invention relates to a door handle locking device.

The door handle locking device of the present invention is suitable for immobilising lever type door handles, round knob shaped door handles, oval shaped door handles and a variety of other shapes of door handles.

The door handle locking device of the invention can be used to immobilise a door handle on the inside of a room into which the occupier wishes to restrict access from the outside.

However, the locking device of the invention can also be used to immobilise the door handle on the outside of a room which is not in use. This second use of the invention can prevent an intruder who breaks into the unused room through a window from gaining access to other parts of the building.

According to the present invention, there is provided a door handle locking device which comprises: (a) a support member which is securable to the door at a position underneath the door handle and at a distance away from the door handle and which serves as a support for the other components of the locking device; (b) an elongated strut consisting of an immoveable shorter lower portion and a moveable longer upper portion connected together by a hinge, the shorter lower portion being firmly securable to the support member and the longer upper portion being of a length which extends upwards almost to the door handle; (c) door handle restraining means located at the top end of the upper longer portion of the strut; and optionally (d) door handle immobilising means mounted on the door handle restraining means and adapted to engage the door handle and render it immoveable; the arrangement of the locking device components being such that the locking device is in its non-operating position when the longer upper portion of the strut is folded backwards and downwards over the shorter lower portion of the strut and the support member and is in its operating position when the longer upper portion of the strut is unfolded upwards to a substantially vertical position so that the restraining means and the optional immobilising means (when present) engage the door handle to render it immoveable.

Preferably, the shorter lower and longer upper portions of the elongated strut are in the form of flat plates of the same width and thickness.

Further preferably, the door handle restraining means is connected to the top end of the upper longer member of the elongated strut by welding or is formed integrally with the strut by a moulding process.

From one aspect, the invention is a locking device for a lever type handle wherein the door handle restraining means is an elongated L-shaped angle bracket which is mounted lengthwise across the top edge of the longer upper portion of the strut so as to cradle the lever of the door handle in a restraining position when the locking device is in its operating position and the optional door handle immobilising means comprises a box which houses a depressable spring loaded steel ball which partly protrudes from the box, the box being mounted at one end of the door handle restraining means so that when the door handle locking device is placed in its operating position the spring loaded steel ball engages the door handle and renders the door handle immoveable.

From another aspect, the invention is a locking device for round knob shaped door handles wherein the top end of the upper portion of the elongated strut is provided with an upwardly extending semi-circular U-shaped member which fits around the under half of the round knob door handle when the locking device is in the operating position. In this embodiment of the invention the restraining means comprises an outwardly horizontally disposed right angled U-shaped member the inner ends of which are connected to the inside of the top ends of the upwardly extending semi-circular U-shaped member, the arrangement being such that when the door handle device is in the operating position the right angled U-shaped restraining member is inserted into a corresponding groove formed in the knob door handle preventing the handle from being turned and wherein the optional immobilising means comprises a pair of flat spring clips mounted one on each inside end of the right angled U-shaped member so that the spring clips engage the door handle when the locking device is in the operating position.

From yet another aspect, the invention is a locking device for oval shaped handles and the door handle restraining means comprises an oval shaped hemisphere with its top cut away frusto style and which is adapted to fit over the oval shaped door handle when the locking device is in its operating position, the oval shaped frusto style hemisphere being mounted on the top end of the upper portion of the elongated strut and the optional door handle immobilising mean comprises a pair of flat spring clips mounted on opposite sides of the inside circumferential edge of the oval shaped frusto style hemisphere so as to engage the door handle and immobilise it when the locking device is in its operating position.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a door handle locking device in accordance with the invention which is designed for immobilising a lever type door handle and which is depicted in upright opened-out operating position and which incorporates a pair of optional door handle immobilising members so that the locking device can be used for left or right opening doors; Figure 2 is a side view of the door handle locking device of Figure 1 mounted on a door; Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the door handle locking device of Figure 1 with the full lines depicting the locking device in upright unfolded opened-out operating position and broken lines depicting the locking device in folded-down non-operating position and also showing the door handle in engaged position; Figure 4 is a side view of the door handle locking device of Figure 1 mounted on a door and again depicted in both unfolded upright operating position and folded-down non-operating position; Figure 5 is a front perspective view of a modification of the door handle locking device of Figure 1 which illustrates an alternative design of optional door handling immobilising member; Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the alternative immobihsing member illustrated in Figure 5; Figure 7 is a front perspective view of a door locking device in accordance with the invention which is designed for immobilising round knob shaped door handles and which is depicted in upright opened-out operating position; Figure 8 is a front view of the door handle locking device of Figure 7 showing a round knob shaped handle in engaged position; Figure 9 is a side view of the door handle locking device of Figure 7 mounted on a door and engaging a round knob shaped door handle; Figure 10 is a front perspective view of a door handle locking device of the invention which is designed for immobilising oval shaped door handles and which is depicted in upright opened-out operating position; and Figure 11 is a schematic sectional plan view in the direction of arrows A-A of Figure 10 and illustrates an oval shaped handle in engaged position.

Referring to the first embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, the door handle locking device for a lever type door handle comprises the following component parts, namely: (a) a solid sturdy base block (1) which is firmly securable to the inside of the door (2) in a position beneath and distanced from the lever type door handle (3); (b) an immoveable shorter lower flat plate (4) of an elongated strut, the plate (4) being firmly securable to the top central area of the outer face of the base block (1); (c) a moveable longer upper flat plate (5) of the elongated strut, the plate (5) extending upwards from the plate (4) and which is connected at its bottom end to the plate (4) by a horizontal hinge (6); (d) a door handle restraining bracket (7) located at the top end of the upper flat plate (5); and (e) an optional door handle immobilising member (8) (two are shown) which is mounted on the door handle restraining bracket (7).

The solid base block (1) is square in shape and can be made of wood, plastic or other suitable material and is firmly secured to the inside of the door (2) by screw nails or very strong adhesive or they can be used together to give an even stronger join. The base block (1) is located on the inside of the door (2) beneath and distanced from the lever type door handle (3) in a position which accommodates the height of the handle on the door. The distance of the base block (1) from the door handle (3) ensures that when the longer upper flat plate (5) is in the vertical opened-out position and the door (2) is closed, the door handle restraining bracket (7) is located directly under the door handle (3).

The shorter lower flat plate (4) and the lower upper flat plate (5) which form the elongated strut are of the same width and thickness and can be made of steel, galvanised steel, chromium plated steel, aluminium, bronze or other suitable material. The door handle restraining bracket (7) can be made of the same material as the flat plates (4) and (5). The restraining bracket (7) can be welded on to the top end of the upper flat plate (5) or alternatively the restraining bracket (7) can be formed integrally with the upper flat plate (5) by metal pressing or by a moulding process.

In this first embodiment of the invention, the door handle restraining bracket (7) has an elongated L-shaped configuration as shown in Figures I to 4. The L-shaped door handle restraining bracket (7) is mounted lengthwise along the top edge of the upper flat plate (5).

The L-shaped restraining bracket (7) can have a cut-away portion (9) to accommodate door handle spindles which project outwards beyond restraining bracket (7).

The optional door handle immobilising member (8) illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings takes the form of a small rectangular box (10) which houses a spring loaded steel ball (11) which partly protrudes from the top surface of rectangular box (10). In the case of a door opening from the right, the door handling immobilising member (8) is mounted on the left hand side of the upper surface of the horizontal limb (12) of L-shaped door handle restraining bracket (7). The door handle locking device of the invention is put into operating position by unfolding the upper flat plate (5) from its non-operating position until the restraining bracket (7) cradles the door handle (3) of the closed door (2).

The spring loaded steel ball (11) of the immobilising member (8) is depressed as it passes under the lever (9) of the door handle (3) and then springs up to grip and immobilise the door handle (3) thus preventing the door (2) from being opened from the outside. The restraining bracket (7) acts as a further security measure in that the vertical limb (13) of the L-shaped retention bracket (7) prevents the door handle locking device from being knocked off the door handle (3) by violent blows on the outside of the door. The combination of the immobilising effect of the immobilising member (8) and the restraining effect of the restraining bracket (7) provides for a very strong, safe and secure door handle locking device.

In the case of a door which opens from the left hand side, the immobilising member (8) is mounted on the right hand end of the horizontal limb (12) of the restraining bracket (7).

However, for convenience, and as shown in Figures 1 and 3, an immobilising member (8) can be mounted at each end of the restraining bracket (7). In this way, the door handle locking device of the invention can be sold for use on both left hand and right hand opening doors.

Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings illustrate a modification of the first embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4. In this modification the spring loaded steel baIl (11) is replaced by a very strong flat spring clip (14). An enlarged view of rectangular box (10) with the spring clip (14) is shown in Figure 6. The bulge (15) in the spring clip (14) serves the same purpose as the spring loaded steel baIl (11) of the first embodiment of the invention.

A second embodiment of the invention designed as a locking device for round knob shaped door handles is illustrated in Figures 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings. In this second embodiment, the base block (16), the lower flat plate (17) and the hinge (18) are the same as their counterparts (1), (4) and (6) in the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings. However, in this second embodiment, the elongated upper flat plate (19), although still connected at its bottom end to the lower fiat plate (17) by the hinge (18) as before, has a different design and configuration at its top end for the door handle restraining means and the immobilising means.

As can be seen from Figures 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings, the elongated upper fiat plate (19) is provided at its top end with an upwardly extending semi-circular U-shaped member (20) which is designed and dimensioned to fit around the under half of the round knob door handle (21) when the locking device is in its operating position. The top ends (22), (23) of the semi-circular U-shaped restraining member (20) are provided with a horizontally disposed outwardly projecting right angled U-shaped locking bar (24) which is designed and dimensioned to lock into a horizontal groove (25) which penetrates half-way into the round knob door handle (21). The insertion of the U-shaped locking bar (24) into the groove (25) in the round knob door handle (21) serves as the means by which the round knob door handle (21) is restrained on the inside of the door. The groove (25) can be filed or machined into the round knob handle (21) when the door handle locking device is being fitted to the inside of the door or alternatively the groove (25) can be preformed in the round knob handle (19) during manufacture of the handle.

The outwardly extending limbs (26) (27) of the right angled U-shaped locking bar (24) are provided on their inside with very strong flat spring clips (28) (29) which serve the same purpose as the spring clip (14) of the modification of the first embodiment of the invention. When the door handle locking device is in its operating position the spring clips (28) (29) firmly grip the round knob door handle (21) and thus immobilise the door handle.

A third embodiment of the invention designed as a locking device for oval shaped door handles is illustrated in Figures 10 and 11 of the drawings. In this embodiment, the base block (30), the lower flat plate (31) and the hinge (32) are again the same as their counterparts (1) (4) and (6) in the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings. However, in this third embodiment, the door handle restraining means (33) and immobilising means (34) located at the top end of the upper flat plate (35) have a design and configuration which accommodates oval shaped door handles.

As can be seen in Figures 10 and 11 of the drawings (especially Figure 11), the door handle restraining means (33) comprises an oval shaped hemisphere (36) with its top cut away frusto style. The oval shaped hemisphere (36) fits over the oval shaped door handle (37) when the door handle locking device is in its operating position. The oval shaped frusto style hemisphere (36) is mounted on the top end of the upper flat plate (35). The door handle immobilising means (34) comprises a pair of very strong flat spring clips (38X39) mounted on opposite sides of the inside circumferential edge of the oval shaped hemisphere (37). The clips (38X39) engage the oval shaped door handle (37) and immobilise it when the locking device is in its operating position. The spring clips (38)(39) are similar in design to the spring clip (14) used in the modification of the first embodiment of the invention.

Advantages of the door handle locking device of the present invention include the following: (i) The device is simple to manufacture, operate and install.

(ii) The device cannot be deactivated by any action from outside the door.

(iii) The device is a self-contained unit and no extraneous parts are required which could be misplaced, (e.g. padlock, keys or other tools).

(iv) The device is neat, appealing to the eye and simple to fix to a door.

(v) The device is much more secure than a conventional bolt device which is easy to break down from the outside.

(vi) The device is ideal for a single person who has to sleep alone in a room.

(vii) The design of the locking device can be modified to suit a variety of shapes of door handles.

(viii) The device is universal in that the base block can be positioned to accommodate varying differences in height of the door handle.

(ix) The device can be used in doors of various materials of construction, e.g. solid (x) The support block can be coloured or stained to match the colour of the door.

Claims

A door handle locking device which comprises: (a) a support member which is securable to the door at a position underneath the door handle and at a distance away from the door handle and which serves as a support for the other components of the locking device; (b) an elongated strut consisting of an immoveable shorter lower portion and a moveable longer upper portion connected together by a hinge, the shorter Lower portion being firmly securable to the support member and the longer upper portion being of a length which extends upwards almost to the door handle; (c) door handle restraining means located at the top end of the upper longer portion of the strut; and optionally (d) door handle immobilising means mounted on the door handle restraining means and adapted to engage the door handle and render it immoveable; the arrangement of the locking device components being such that the locking device is in its non-operating position when the longer upper portion of the strut is folded backwards and downwards over the shorter lower portion of the strut and the support member and is in its operating position when the longer upper portion of the strut is unfolded upwards to a substantially vertical position so that the restraining means and the optional immobilising means (when present) engage the door handle to render it immoveable.
2. A door handle locking device according to claim I wherein the support member is a block made of wood, plastic or other suitable material.
3. A door handle locking device according to claim I or claim 2 wherein the lower and upper portions of the elongated strut are in the form of flat plates of the same width and thickness.
4. A door handle locking device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the door handle restraining means is made of the same material as the lower and upper portions of the elongated strut.
5. A door handle locking device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the door handle restraining means is connected to the top end of the upper longer member of the elongated strut by welding or is formed integrally with the strut by a moulding process.
6. A door handle locking device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the shorter lower and longer upper portions of the elongated strut are made of steel, galvanised steel, chromium plated steel, aluminium, bronze or other suitable material.
7. A door handle locking device according to any one of the preceding claims which is designed to immobilise a lever type door handle.
8. A door handle locking device according to claim 7 wherein the door handle restraining means is an elongated L-shaped angle bracket which is mounted lengthwise across the top edge of the longer upper portion of the strut so as to cradle the lever of the door handle in a restraining position when the locking device is in its operating position.
9. A door handle locking device according to claim 8 wherein the L-shaped angle bracket is mounted on the top edge of the longer upper portion of the strut with its horizontal limb extending outwardly from said top edge and its vertical limb located on the outer edge of its horizontal limb.
10. A door handle locking device according to any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein the optional door handle immobilising means comprises a box which houses a depressable spring loaded steel ball which partly protrudes from the box, the box being mounted at one end of the door handle restraining means so that when the door handle locking device is placed into its operating position the spring loaded steel ball engages the door handle and renders the door handle immoveable.
II. A door handle locking device as claimed any one of claims 7 to 10 which has a door handle immobitising means mounted at each end of the door handle restraining means so that the locking device is suitable for fitting to left or right opening doors.
12. A door handle locking device as claimed in any one of claims I to 6 which is designed to immobilise a round knob shaped door handle.
13. A door handle locking device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the top end of the upper portion of the elongated strut is provided with an upwardly extending semi-circular U-shaped member which fits around the under half of the round knob door handle when the locking device is in operating position.
14. A door handle locking device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the restraining means comprises an outwardly horizontally disposed right angled U-shaped member the inner ends of which are connected to the inside of the top ends of upwardly extending semi-circular U-shaped member, the arrangement being such that when the door handle device is in the operating position the right angled U-shaped restraining member is inserted into a corresponding groove formed in the round knob door handle preventing the handle from being turned.
15. A door handle locking device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the optional immobilising means comprises a pair of flat spring clips mounted one on each inside end of the right angled U-shaped member so that the spring clips engage the door handle when the locking device is in the operating position thus immobilising the door handle.
16. A door handle locking device as claimed in any one of claims I to 6 which is designed to immobilise an oval shaped door handle.
17. A door handle locking device as claimed in claim 16 wherein the door handle restraining means comprises an oval shaped hemisphere with its top cut away frusto style and which is adapted to fit over the oval shaped door handle when the locking device is in its operating position, the oval shaped frusto style hemisphere being mounted on the top end of the upper portion of the elongated strut.
18. A door handle locking device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the door optional handle immobilising mean comprises a pair of flat spring clips mounted on opposite sides of the inside circumferential edge of the oval shaped frusto style hemisphere so as to engage the door handle and immobitise it when the locking device is in its operating position.
19. A door handle locking device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the various figures of the accompanying drawings.