GB2512582A

GB2512582A - Door blocking arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2512582A
Application number: GB1305469.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Thurlow
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-03-26
Filing date: 2013-03-26
Publication date: 2014-10-08
Also published as: GB201305469D0

Abstract

A blocking arrangement 10 to limit the extent of opening of a door 21. The blocking arrangement 10 includes a blocking member 11 which restricts 5 opening movement of the door 21. A mount 12 attaches the blocking member 11 to a structure adjacent the door 21. The blocking member 11 is slidably carried by the mount 12 to permit adjustment of the position of the blocking member 11 relative to the door 21 so that the permitted opening of the door 21 can be adjusted.

Description

DOOR BLOCKING ARRANGEMENT

This invention relates to a security device for a door and more particularly to a blocking arrangement to limit the extent of opening of a door.

It can be desirable, particularly for vulnerable persons such as the elderly or infirm, to have auxiliary security devices fitted to one or more doors to protect against unauthorised entry into the home. It can also be beneficial to limit the extent ot opening of a door in such a manner so as to allow sufficient opening for visual identification of visitors but to prevent unauthorised entry of those visitors into the building or room -i.e. only partial opening of the door.

Existing security devices to limit the extent of opening of a door generally comprise a chain mechanism having one end mounted to a wall, adjacent the opening side of the door, and the other end configured releasably to engage a fixing on the door. There is usually a little slack in the chain, when engaged, so as to allow the door to be opened to a limited extent. A drawback of such devices is that they are usually accessible from the outside and so can be destroyed using appropriate tools, for example, by using a bolt cutter to cut the chain. Thus, unauthorised forceful entry into the building or room can still be achieved by determined criminals. Furthermore, with these known devices, the permitted opening of the door is generally fixed and in most cases does not provide a gap large enough to enable items, such as small packages through.

Thus, it would be highly advantageous if the extent of permitted opening of the door could be varied depending on the requirements of the user.

Generally, in the case of unauthorised entry into a home, people are most vulnerable at night when they are sleeping and thus unaware of any activity occurring at the door. Door locking mechanisms to provide additional security at night usually comprise door bolts which serve purely to keep the door completely closed.

It would be beneficial if a door security device existed which is capable of performing more than one security function, i.e. selectively being capable of permitting partial opening of the door and total restriction of the opening of the door. It is a principle aim of the present invention to provide a door security device which addresses some or all of the above problems associated with known door security devices.

According to this invention, there is provided a blocking arrangement to limit the extent of opening of a door, the blocking arrangement comprising: a blocking member; and a mount to attach the blocking member to a structure adjacent the door and generally perpendicular thereto when the door is in a closed position, so that the blocking member restricts opening movement of the door, wherein the blocking member is slidably carried by the mount to permit adjustment of the position of the blocking member relative to the door, whereby the permitted opening of the door can be adjusted.

The term "door" as used herein should be taken to mean any barrier which serves to restrict access to a particular area and includes gates and other types of moveable panel. Similarly, the term structure" should be taken to mean any fixture to which the mount may be attached, and may include, a wall, a fence or even a skirting board. The mount may even be configured to serve as a structure, e.g. by being suitably attached to the floor. The blocking arrangement is not restricted for use on external doors and may be used on any door including internal doors.

The blocking arrangement may be mounted at any selected height, including on the skirting board of a wall, where provided. The height is dependent on the user's preference but is ideally selected to ensure easy reach for operation. For example, in the case of a user who has problems bending, a waist-high mounting is probably most appropriate. The term "generally perpendicular thereto" with respect to the structure is not intended to mean that the blocking arrangement may only be used on a structure which is at a strict right angle to the door and an reasonable interpretation of this term should be made to include normal variations of this.

The blocking member may be mounted on a structure adjacent to the opening side of the door (i.e. opposed to the hinged side). However, such an arrangement could serve as an obstruction to the user when trying to see through an opening in the door and when passing through the doorway to enter or exit. Preferably therefore, the blocking member is mounted on a structure adjacent to the hinged side of the door.

The mount may include a sliding track along which the blocking member is arranged to slide. The mount may be elongate and the blocking member arranged to be slidably carried along the longitudinal length of the mount. In this arrangement, the mount should be attached to the structure so that the length thereof is generally parallel to the plane of the floor or ground surface, so that sliding movement of the blocking member on the mount will bring the blocking member either closer to or further away from the hinged side of the door.

The mount may be greater in length that the width of a door. In such a configuration the mount may be attached to a structure in a position which enables a blocking member mounted thereon to be slid fully in one direction completely to block a door and also fully in the opposing direction to be moved completely out of the way of the door, i.e. to a storage non-use position. In an alternative or additional arrangement the blocking member may be connected to the mount by a hinged member to allow folding of the blocking member relative to the mount so that blocking member may be moved away when not in use.

Ideally the hinge is generally horizontal so that the hinging of the blocking member is in a vertical plane. A securing member may be provided to hold the blocking member in a folded position. The hinged member may connect to rollers which are moveably located within the mount.

To prevent accidental sliding movement of the blocking member, the blocking arrangement preferably further comprises a securing mechanism arranged releasably to lock the position of the blocking member relative to the mount. The blocking member may be selectively lockable into two or more positions along the length of the mount.

The securing mechanism may be configured to engage the blocking member with the mount so as to retain the relative position of the blocking member on the mount. The mount may further comprise a plate arranged to extend therefrom and having a series of openings therethrough corresponding to a series of securing positions. In this arrangement, a bolt lock may be connected to the blocking member and arranged for engagement in a selected one of the openings. Alternatively, a series of holes may be provided in the mount and one or more corresponding openings provided in the blocking member, with each hole corresponding to a locking position. In this arrangement one or more locking pin may be provided to pass into a hole and opening in order to maintain the position of the blocking member relative to the mount. In another arrangement, the securing mechanism may comprise a spring steel member connected to the mount and biased to engage the blocking member. A selectively operable release member, such as a button or lever, may be provided to disengage the securing mechanism thereby to permit sliding movement of the blocking member. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other forms of known securing mechanism could equally be used and should be held to fall within the scope of this invention.

The blocking arrangement may include electronic means operable automatically to control the position of the blocking member relative to the mount. Electronic means may comprise one or more motor connected to a control circuit programmed to control the position of the blocking member on the mount. Preferably, the electronic means is operable by actuation means, such as one or more button and/or switch. The actuation means may be provided on a control panel configured for mounting near to the door. The control panel may be connected to the electronic means by way of one or more wires or may be wireless and incorporate a transmitter and battery therein arranged to communicate with a corresponding receiver in the electronic means.

In a preferred arrangement one or more activation means, which may be a button, switch, lever or other device, is provided on a remote wireless device.

This may be provided in preference to a control panel but ideally is provided in addition thereto. In this way, the remote wireless device may be given to a trusted person, such as a relative or neighbour who will then be able to operate the blocking member in the case of an accident or emergency.

It is preferred that the blocking member is substantially rigid so that, when attached appropriately to a structure adjacent a door, the blocking member serves as an obstruction between that structure and door. Similarly, the mount may be formed from a suitable strong material to ensure a strong connection of the blocking arrangement to a wall.

To ensure a strong connection and to minimise damage to the door caused by the blocking arrangement, it is preferred that the blocking member has a face arranged to abut a door, when that door is opened to the permitted distance. It will be appreciated though that the position of the blocking member on the mount and relative to the door may mean that the planar face does not always lie substantially parallel to the plane of the door at the time of impact and so does not squarely abut the door. To address this, a triangular wedge may be connected to the blocking member, the wedge having a planar face arranged, when in use, to contact a door. Preferably, the orientation of the wedge relative to the blocking member is adjustable so that, when required, the planar face of the wedge can be positioned parallel to the plane of the door to which it is to contact. The wedge is preferably hinged to the blocking member and includes a manually adjustable locking pin arrangement. In a preferred arrangement, the blocking member is at least partially hollow and is configured to receive the wedge therewithin. The wedge and the blocking member may each have one or more corresponding alignable holes arranged to receive a bolt to retain the relative position of the wedge with the mount. Alternatively, the connection between the wedge and the blocking member may be such that the orientation of the wedge relative to the blocking member automatically adjusts depending on the position of the blocking member an the mount. This connection between the wedge and the blocking member may be achieved in several ways. For example, the wedge may be spring loaded to enable automatic adjustment thereof.

The blacking arrangement of this invention may be used to limit the extent of opening of a right handed or left handed door. It may be used not only to allow partial opening of the door but also to block opening of the door altogether.

By way of example only, embodiments of blocking arrangement of this invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the blocking arrangement according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the mount of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the blocking member of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the hinge of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the blocking arrangement of Figure 1 attached to a wall adjacent a door; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the blocking arrangement of the present invention in use and arranged to permit a small opening in a door; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the blocking arrangement of the present invention in use and arranged to permit a larger opening in a door; Figure 8 is a perspective view of the blocking arrangement of the present invention in use and arranged to prevent any opening of a door; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of the blocking arrangement of the present invention in a stored position.

Referring to all of the Figures, there is shown a blocking arrangement 10 which comprises a substantially rigid blocking member 11 and a mount 12 for attaching the blocking member 11 to a wall 13.

The blocking member 11 comprises a block formed from aluminium having a mounting end 14 and an abutting end 15 extending at an inclined angle therefrom. The mounting end 14 is configured with fixing holes 25 to facilitate the attachment of the blocking member 11 to a hinge device 16. The abutting end 15 of the blocking member 11 has an opening formed therein and in which a triangular wedge 17 is contained.

The triangular wedge 17 is pivotally connected to the blocking member 11 at a corner 18 of the abutting end 15 and is movable about that corner 18.

The triangular wedge 17 has a planar face 19 for abutting the planar face 20 of a door 21. A hole 22 is formed in the blocking member 11 towards the abutting end 15 and the wedge 17 has a series of corresponding holes 23 formed therein. Each of the holes 23 in the wedge 17 is selectively alignable with the hole 22 towards the abutting end 15 of the blocking member 11 for the insertion of a locking pin 24 therein to hold the wedge 17 in position.

The mount 12 is essentially an elongate rail defined by a hollow box-shaped cross section and having a channel 27 formed along the length. The mount 12 includes a back section 28 which is substantially flat and has holes 29 for the insertion of fixings to attach the mount 12 to a wall 13. An upper section and lower section 31 extend from the back section 28 and each has an inwardly directed lip 32 arranged to define the channel 27.

The blocking member 11 is connected to the mount 12 by the hinge device 16. One part 33 of the hinge device 16 has openings 34 for fixings 26 to connect to the blocking member 11 and the other part 35, separated by a hinge line 36, has openings 37 for attachment of screws 41 with the screw thread shafts 42 of a pair of rollers 38 sliably received in the mount 12. The rollers 38 include wheels 39 arranged to rotate as the hinge device 16 is moved along the mount 12. The hinge device 16 enables the blocking member 11 to be rotated towards the mount 12 so as to be moved out of the way for storage when not in use. This storage position is best seen in Figure 9. The hinge device 16 is sufficiently stiff so as to retain its position when moved to hold the blocking member 11 in the storage position.

As best shown in Figure 2, a securing mechanism is provided releasably to lock the position of the blocking member on the mount. In this case, the securing mechanism includes a planar plate 43 which extends downwardly from the back section 28 of the mount 12. The plate 43 includes a series of openings 44 which correspond to selected securing positions of the blocking member 11 with to mount 12. The blocking member 11 includes a locking bolt mechanism including a bolt 46 arranged to be selectively inserted into one of the openings 44 to secure the position of the blocking member 11 with the mount 12. A button 47 on the bolt mechanism 45 is operable to release the bolt 46 from the respective opening.

The blocking arrangement may include electronic components, such as motors and circuitry (not shown) to enable the blocking member 11 to be moved automatically. Manual operation may also be provided to ensure that the blocking arrangement 10 can be used when there is no power. Electronic control means is provided in the form of a control panel 50 which is configured for attachment to a wall 13 and having buttons 51 to enable the position of the blocking member 11 on the mount 12 to be controlled. A screen 52 on the control panel 50 provides information to the user and may also include an alarm button 53.

Figures 6 to 9 show the mount 12 attached to a wall 13 by way of screws 54 inserted into the holes 29 in the back section 28. The mount 12 may be attached to the wall 13 at any suitable vertical position but the wall 13 must be adjacent to the hinge side 55 of the door 21 (as opposed to the opening side) and substantially perpendicular to that door 21 when the door 21 is in a closed position. The mount 12 is connected to the wall 13 so that the longitudinal length is parallel to the plane of the floor surface 56. The correct distance of the mount 12 to the hinge of the door 21 must be carefully determined so that the blocking member 11 is capable of being moved, on the mount 12, towards the hinge side of the door 55 to completely block that door 21 and prevent opening.

Manual operation of the blocking arrangement 10 shall now be described. In some of the Figures, to improve visual clarity a notional line 60 shows the position of a closed door.

When the arrangement 10 is to be used to permit a small opening of the door 21 as shown in Figure 6, the button 47 on the bolt mechanism 45 is operated to release the bolt 46 from an opening 44 in the planar plate 43 and the blocking member 11 is slid along the mount 12 to the required position. If attached appropriately on the wall 13, the required position for partial opening of the door 21 will be approximately mid-way along the length of the mount 12.

The button 47 is then released to enable the bolt 46 to engage within a corresponding opening 44 in the planar plate 43 to lock the position of the blocking member 11 on the mount 12. The rotational position of the wedge 17 relative to the blocking member 11 is then adjusted by aligning the appropriate opening 23 in the wedge 17 with the opening 22 in the blocking member 11 and inserting the locking pin 24. The door 21 may be opened until it reaches the triangular wedge 17. In this arrangement the planar face 19 of the wedge 17 abuts the planar face 20 of the door 21 and the blocking arrangement 10 serves as an obstruction preventing further opening of the door 21.

The permitted opening of the door 21 can be adjusted by varying the location of the blocking member 11 on the mount 12. The larger the opening required, the further away the blocking member 11 should be moved from the hinge side of the door 55. Conversely, the smaller the opening required, the closer the blocking member 11 should be moved towards the hinge side of the door 55. As shown in Figure 7, in some instances the triangular wedge 17 will not be required and in this case, the wedge 17 is fully inserted into the abutting end 15 of the blocking member 11 and secured in position with the locking pin 24.

When the arrangement 10 is to be used to completely block opening of the door 21 as shown in Figure 8, again the release button 47 is operated and the blocking member 11 is slid along the mount 12 to the required position. The required position for complete blocking of the door 21 will be as far as possible towards the hinge side of the door 55. The button 47 is then released to lock the position of the blocking member 11 on the mount 12. The blocking arrangement 10 serves to completely obstruct the door 21 so that the door 21 is not permitted to open.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A blocking arrangement to limit the extent of opening of a door, the blocking arrangement comprising: a blocking member; and a mount to attach the blocking member to a structure adjacent the door and generally perpendicular thereto when the door is in a closed position, so that the blocking member restricts opening movement of the door, wherein the blocking member is slidably carried by the mount to permit adjustment of the position of the blocking member relative to the door, whereby the permitted opening of the door can be adjusted.
2. A blocking arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mount is elongate and the blocking member is slidably carried along the length of the mount.
3. A blocking arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a securing mechanism arranged releasably to lock the position of the blocking member relative to the mount to prevent sliding movement of the blocking member on the mount.
4. A blocking arrangement as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a release member selectively operable to disengage the securing mechanism thereby to permit sliding movement of the blocking member.
5. A blocking arrangement as claimed in any claims, having electronic means to control the position of the blocking member relative to the mount.
6. A blocking arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the electronic means is operable by actuation of one or more button and/or switch.
7. A blocking arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the one or more button or switch is provided on a remote wireless device.
8. A blocking arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the blocking member is substantially rigid.
9. A blocking arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein a wedge is connected to the blocking member, the wedge having a face arranged to contact the door.
10. A blocking arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the orientation of the wedge relative to the blocking member is adjustable so that the face of the wedge can be positioned parallel to the plane of the door to which it is to contact.
11. A blocking arrangement as claimed in claim 10, wherein the connection between the wedge and the blocking member is such that the orientation of the wedge relative to the blocking member automatically adjusts depending on the position of the blocking member on the mount.
12. A blocking arrangement as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.