GB2546327A

GB2546327A - Security cowl and fixing

Info

Publication number: GB2546327A
Application number: GB1600850.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Johnson Dave
Original assignee: Era Home Security Ltd
Current assignee: Era Home Security Ltd
Priority date: 2016-01-18
Filing date: 2016-01-18
Publication date: 2017-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 2036-01-18
Also published as: GB2546327B; GB201600850D0

Abstract

A security cowl assembly 200 for fitting to an internal surface of a door has a limiter 204 configured to limit a maximum displacement of a security cover fitted to the door.The limiter restricts the security cover so that it is operable between a first security cover position at least partially covering the letterbox aperture and a second security cover position at the maximum displacement, at which direct access through the letterbox aperture is disrupted. Also disclosed is a fixing plate 600 for attaching a security cowl to the internal surface of a door. The fixing plate has fixing lugs 602 that in use retain the security cowl but which permit quick and easy installation. In use, the security cowl provides additional security to reduce the risk of thieves gaining access to a building and/or stealing objects from a building by way of a letterbox in a door.

Description

SECURITY COWL AND FIXING

Technical field

The invention relates to a security cowl and/or an associated fixing for a security cowl. In particular, the invention is related to, but need not be limited to a security cowl and/or an associated fixing for fitting to a letter plate of a door.

Background

It is known to provide security measures to reduce the risk of thieves gaining access to a building and/or stealing objects from a building by way of a letterbox in a door. Such measures include security cowls that may be fitted to an internal side of a door, partially covering a letterbox opening. The security cowls are configured to allow letters and other post to be delivered through the letterbox opening, but to restrict the degree of access a thief or other intruder can have to the interior of a building through the letterbox opening. For example, thieves are known to insert a wire hook or rod through a letterbox opening to attempt to steal high value items, especially as keys. Such attacks are known as “fishing”.

Summary

The inventor has appreciated that it is difficult and cumbersome for an operative to fit security cowls to doors due to the arrangement of the fixings on the cowl. In addition, the inventor has appreciated that current security cowls are bulky items that project from an internal surface of door and may cause an obstruction. For this reason, a number of security cowls are removed from buildings by the building occupiers.

Exemplary methods and apparatus disclosed herein aim to solve or mitigate one or more problems with the prior art, including those discussed or arising from the above.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a security cowl assembly for fitting to an internal surface of a door comprising a letterbox aperture providing direct access through the door, the security cowl assembly comprising: a limiting means, which may be a limiter, configured to limit a maximum displacement of a security cover, wherein the limiter is configured such that the security cover is operable between a first security cover position at least partially covering the letterbox aperture and a second security cover position at the maximum displacement, at which direct access through the letterbox aperture is disrupted.

The limiter may be configured to limit the maximum displacement of an internal letter plate, and the security cover may comprise the internal letter plate.

The limiter may be configured to limit rotational displacement of the security cover. For example, the limiter may comprise a lip projecting inwardly to provide a mechanical end stop in an arc of rotation of the security cover.

The lip may project inwardly and across a breadth of the security cover. The lip may extend only partly across the breadth of the security cover. The lip may be configured to contact only a part of the security cover to limit the maximum displacement of the security cover. The lip may be configured to contact the security cover only in a portion of the security cover from a first longitudinal edge to a point not more than a quarter of the way across the breadth of the security cover.

The security cowl assembly may further comprise side covers, configured to restrict lateral access through the letterbox aperture when the security cover is in the second security cover position.

The side covers may be moveable from a first side cover position to a second side cover position by movement of the security cover from the first security cover position to the second security cover position. The side covers may be rotatable relative to the door between the first and second side cover positions. The side covers may be biased towards the first side cover position. The side covers may comprise substantially flat plates.

The security cowl assembly may further comprise sides in connection with the limiter and configured to be positioned at opposed sides of the letterbox aperture.

The security cowl assembly may further comprise the security cover. The security cover may comprise a substantially flat plate.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a door comprising a security cowl assembly as described herein.

The door may further comprise an internal letter plate, wherein the security cover comprises the internal letter plate.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a fixing plate for fixing to an internal face of a door and for fixing a security cowl or security cowl assembly to the internal face of the door, the fixing plate comprising: one or more fixing lugs, each fixing lug comprising a stem and a fixing head, the stem and the fixing head configured to provide a retaining surface against which the security cowl assembly may be retained against the door.

The stem may comprise at least one cross sectional dimension that is less than a corresponding cross sectional dimension of the fixing head.

The stem and the fixing head may have a circular cross section, and wherein the cross sectional dimension is a diameter.

The length of the stem may be at least greater than or equal to a width of a back plate of a security cowl or security cowl assembly.

The fixing plate may further comprise one or more fixing apertures configured to receive a fixing member for fixing the fixing plate to the internal face of the door. The fixing member may be a screw.

The fixing plate may further comprise a securing aperture configured to correspond with a securing aperture of a security cowl or security cowl assembly, such that a further fixing member may be received through the securing apertures of the fixing plate and the security cowl.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a door comprising a security cowl or security cowl assembly fitted to the door using any fixing plate described herein.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit of parts comprising a fixing plate as described above and a security cowl or security cowl assembly. The security cowl or security cowl assembly may be a security cowl assembly as described herein.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of a security cowl;

Figure 2 is a front perspective view of a security cowl;

Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of a security cowl;

Figure 4 is a section through a security cowl fitted to a door an in a closed position;

Figure 5 is a section through a security cowl fitted to a door and in an open position;

Figure 6a is a front perspective view of a security cowl fixing plate;

Figure 6b is a front elevation of a security cowl fixing plate;

Figure 6c is a side elevation of a security cowl fixing plate; and

Figure 7 is a section through a door with a security cowl fixed thereto using a security cowl fixing plate.

Detailed description

Generally, disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for providing increased security to doors comprising letterbox openings and letter plates. The methods and apparatus disclosed aim to provide a security cowl having a lower profile than known security cowls and/or that can be fitted to a door more easily than known security cowls.

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a security cowl 100. The security cowl 100 comprises two back plates 102a-b arranged to run along a periphery of a letterbox opening. The back plates 102a-b each comprise a plurality of fixing apertures that are slotted apertures 104a-b and circular apertures 106a-b distributed along the length of each back plate 102a-b. The fixing apertures 104a-b, 106a-b are configured to allow the security cowl 100 to be fitted to an internal surface of a door.

The security cowl 100 further comprises a security cover 108 and two side covers 110a-b. The two side covers 110a-b project transversely from the back plates 102a-b and are in rigid connection with the back plates 102a-b. The back plates 102a-b project inwardly from the side covers 110a-b towards a letterbox aperture when the security cowl 100 is fitted to a door. The security cover 108 extends from a plane of the back plates 102a-b (which is coincident with an internal face of the door, when the security cowl 100 is fitted) at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees. In exemplary security cowls 100, the security cover 108 extends at an angle less than 90 degrees and more than 0 degrees, for example in range from 35 degrees to 55 degrees. The side covers 110a-b extend from opposed back plates 102a-b to the security cover 108.

By the arrangement described above, the security cowl 100 provides an aperture that faces downwards when the security cowl 100 is fitted to a door. Put another way, a letterbox aperture provides direct access through a door and the security cover disrupts direct access through the letterbox aperture by providing a labyrinthine path. As used herein, “direct” access encompasses a line of sight access and/or a unidirectional, linear access. As used herein, “disrupted” direct access and/or “labyrinthine” access encompasses indirect access, which includes a change in direction so is not unidirectional or linear.

The downward facing aperture allows mail and other items to be delivered through a letterbox opening of a door and the security cover 108 and side covers 110a-b prevent intruders from gaining access to the interior of the building in any direction other than downwards, through the aperture. For example, an intruder may attempt to use an elongate probe to insert through the letterbox opening and upwards in order to operate a lock or latch. The security cover 108 restricts that. Alternatively, an intruder may attempt to project a probe laterally into the building to gain access to an occupier’s belongings, such as car keys on a table, for example. The side covers 110a-b restrict that. In addition, the side covers 110a-b, as a result of their tensile strength, provide increased strength to the security cowl 100 by increasing the force required to bend the security cover 108 upwards.

Security cowls such as the one shown in Figure 1 may be fitted to letterbox openings comprising a letter plate fitted to outer and inner faces of a door. The inventor has appreciated that when an internal letter plate is fitted to an inner face of a door then this may be used as a retractable, or moveable, security cover for a security cowl. That is, the internal letter plate may itself restrict access in an upward direction through the letterbox opening without the need for a separate security cover.

Figures 2 and 3 respectively show front perspective and rear perspective views of a security cowl assembly 200 for fitting to an internal face of a door comprising a letterbox aperture. The security cowl 200 comprises two sides 202a-b. The security cowl 200 comprises a limiter 204 configured to limit a maximum displacement of a security cover. The security cover may comprise an internal letter plate fitted to the door, in which case the security cover is not part of the security cowl assembly 200. In other exemplary apparatus, the security cover may be provided as part of the security cowl assembly 200. The security cowl assembly 200 therefore provides for a security cover that is operable between a first, low profile, position in which the security cover lies flat against the inner face of the door, and a second position in which the security cover is at its maximum displacement and so provides disrupted access through the letterbox aperture. When not in use, the security cowl 200 is therefore lower in profile than the security cowl 100.

In the exemplary apparatus of Figures 2 and 3, the limiter 204 extends from a first side 202a to a second side 202b. The limiter 204 is rigidly connected to the sides 202a-b.

The sides 202a-b are configured for attachment to a door on opposed sides of a letterbox opening. In the exemplary security cowl 200, the sides 202a-b comprise a back plate 206a-b and walls 208a-b, 210a-b, 212a-b, together forming an internal side void on each side 202a-b. The internal side voids of each side 202a-b provide space for the fixings of the security cowl 200 when it is fitted to a door.

In the exemplary apparatus of Figures 2 and 3, the limiter 204 is a mechanical end stop that projects inwardly from the door. The limiter 204 is configured to limit the rotation of an internal letter plate, such that access to an interior of a building through the letterbox aperture is disrupted. In exemplary apparatus, the limiter 204 may restrict inward rotation of the letter plate to a maximum angle in a range from 35 degrees to 55 degrees with respect to a plane coincident with a face of the door. This is explained in greater detail below.

In the exemplary security cowl 200, the limiter 204 comprises a lip 214 that forms an end stop. The lip 214 is configured to project from an internal face of a door, such that an underside of the lip 214 comes into contact with a part of the security cover, which may be an internal letter plate, at its maximum internal rotation. The security cover is referred to as an internal letter plate herein, although it is noted that the security cover may be a different entity. It is also noted that other types of limiter are possible, such as a mechanical limiter fitted to the hinge that limits rotation.

In exemplary security cowls 200, the extent of the projection of the lip 214 is configured such that the underside contacts only part of the internal letter plate at its maximum rotation. In this way, the internal letter plate itself provides a function similar to that of the security cover 108 of the security cowl 100. That is, the internal letter plate disrupts the direct access to the interior of a building through a letterbox aperture.

In exemplary security cowls 200, the lip 214 projects inwardly (i.e. into a building) from an internal face of a door and extends across a breadth (in this case, downwards) of the internal letter plate to a point beyond a hinge of an internal letter plate, but not fully to a bottom edge of the letter plate. In specific exemplary security cowls 200, the lip 214 may extend downwards in a range from a point at a bottom of a hinge of a letter plate to a point 25% of the way towards a bottom edge of the letter plate. The projection and downward extension of the lip may together determine the maximum limit of internal rotation of the letter plate.

The exemplary security cowl 200 comprises side covers 216a-b. The side covers 216a-b are rotatably connected to the sides 202a-b and, in exemplary security cowls 200, rotatably connected to a wall 212a-b of a side 202a-d that faces a letterbox aperture when fitted to a door. The rotatable connection may be provided by hinges 218a-b. The side covers 216a-b are operable between a closed position (shown in Figures 2 and 3) and an open position (shown in Figure 5). In the closed position, the side covers project across a letter box opening, and in the open position, the side covers 216a-b project into a building to which a door including the security cowl 200 is fitted. That is, in the open position, the side covers 216a-b extend into the building and restrict lateral access into the building through the letter box opening. The side covers 416a-b may be biased towards the closed position, for example by a spring. The maximum inward rotation of the side covers 216a-b may be limited, for example, by the inner walls 212a-b of the sides 202a-b. The maximum inward rotation of the side covers 216a-b may be limited such that there can be no gap between the side covers 216a-b and the inner letter plate 216a-b when the security cowl is in an open position (as shown in Figure 5). The maximum inward rotation of the side covers 216a-b may be limited to 90 degrees with respect to a door to which the security cowl 200 is fitted.

Figures 4 and 5 show sections through a door comprising a letterbox aperture 402 therethrough and an internal letter plate 404. The letter box aperture 402 provides direct or linear access through the door 400. The door also comprises an external letter plate 406. The internal letter plate 404 is rotatable with respect to the door by way of a hinge 410 along a top edge, such that it is inwardly rotatable (i.e. into a building to which the door is fitted. Exemplary internal letter plates may be biased towards a closed position (as shown in Figure 4) or may use gravitational force to return to the closed position from an open position (shown in Figure 5). The letter plate 404 comprises a substantially flat and rigid plate, which may be manufactured using metal or a plastics material.

As shown in Figure 4, a security cowl 200 is fitted to an internal face 408 of the door 400 such that the sides 202a-b of the security cowl 200 are located at opposed sides of the letterbox aperture 402 and the limiter 204 is located above an upper edge of the internal letter plate 404. The lip 214 projects inwardly into the building and extends downwards to at least partially cover the hinge 410. In the exemplary arrangement of Figures 4 and 5, the lip 214 extends downwards over the hinge 410 and partly over the internal letter plate 404. The lip 214 comprises an underside 220 configured to contact a surface of the inner letter plate 404 at a point along its inward rotation. Contact between the underside 220 of the lip 214 and the letter plate 404 limits the maximum displacement (in this case, inward rotation) of the internal letter plate 404. The side covers 216a-b extend across the letter box opening 402 in front of the internal letter plate 404, such that inward rotation of the internal letter plate 404 causes inward rotation of the side covers 216a-b. The security cowl 200 is shown in the closed position in Figure 4.

Figure 5 shows another section through the door 400 and security cowl 200, this time with the security cowl 200 in an open position. The internal letter plate 404 is rotated inwards, for example by pressure applied through the letter box opening 402 from outside the door 400. Rotation of the internal letter plate 404 causes inward rotation of the side covers 216a-b such that they project inwardly. The inward rotation of the internal letter plate 404 is limited by the underside 220 of the lip 214. As such, the internal letter plate 404 is operable between a first position, in which the internal letter plate 404 is closed, and a second position in which the internal letter plate 404 is open, but direct access through the letterbox aperture is disrupted.

As set out above, the limiter 204 of the security cowl is configured to limit inward rotation of the internal letter plate 404 to a specific angle relative to the door 400. The maximum angle of rotation of the inner letter plate 404 may be determined by the amount projection and downward extension of the lip 214 of the limiter 204. In exemplary security cowls, the maximum angle of rotation of the internal letter plate 404 may be in a range from 35 degrees to 55 degrees, and in specific exemplary security cowls may be substantially 45 degrees.

In the open position, as shown in Figure 5, a disrupted access aperture 412 is formed facing downwards and through which mail and other items may be delivered into the building. The internal letter plate 404 provides a security cover that restricts access to the building in an upward direction. The side covers 216a-b are in an open position and are rotated inwardly such that they abut the edges of the internal letter plate 404. The side covers therefore restrict lateral access into the building through the letterbox aperture 402.

Figures 6a-c respectively show a front perspective view, a front elevation and a side elevation of a security cowl fixing plate 600. The fixing plate 600 comprises two retaining lugs 602a-b. The fixing plate 600 also comprises two fixing apertures 604 configured to receive screws or nails in order to fix the fixing plate 600 to an inner face of a door. It is noted that the fixing plate 600 may be fixed to an inner face of a door by other means, such as with an adhesive. The fixing plate 600 also comprises a securing aperture 606 configured to receive a screw or nail for securing a security cowl 100, 200 to a door after is has been fixed to the door using the fixing plate 600, as explained below.

The fixing lugs 602a-b each comprise a stem 608a-b and a fixing head 610a-b. The stems 608a-b and the fixing heads 610a-b are configured such that retaining surfaces 612a-b are formed that retain a security cowl 100, 200 in position when it is fixed to a door, as explained below. In exemplary fixing plates, the stems 608a-b and fixing heads 610a-b have circular cross sections and the diameter of the cross sections of the stems 608a-b is less than the diameter of the cross sections of the fixing heads 610a-b.

Figure 7 shows a section through a door 700 to which a fixing plate 600 and a security cowl 200 are fitted. The fixing plate 600 is fixed to the door 700 by screws 702, 704 driven through the fixing apertures 604a-b and into the door 700. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, security cowls 100, 200 may comprise one or more slotted apertures 104a-b, 222a-b comprising a wide section and a thin section. The wide section is configured to pass over the fixing head 610a-b and the thin section is configured to pass over the stem 608a-b, but not the fixing head 610a-b. The security cowl 100, 200 can therefore be fitted to the door 700 by passing the wide section of the slotted aperture 104a-b, 222a-b over the fixing head 610a-b and then sliding the security cowl 100, 200 such that the thinner section of the slotted aperture 104a-b, 222a-b receives the stem 608a-b and is retained behind the retaining surface 612a-b, thereby holding the security cowl 100, 200 in position against the door.

The walls 210a-b sides of the sides 202a-b of the security cowl 200 may comprise an aperture or recess 224a-b and the fixing plate 206a-b comprises a corresponding securing aperture 226a-b through which a screw 706 (or nail) may be driven after the security cowl 200 has been fixed to the fixing plate 600. It is noted that exemplary fixing plates 600 may be used to fix any security cowl 100, 200 to a door.

Typically, existing security cowls 100, 200 are fixed to doors by the partial insertion of screws or nails into the door, after which the slotted apertures 104a-b, 222a-b may be placed over the partially inserted screws of nails in a similar way to that described above. However, this requires an fitter to judge the correct amount of insertion and also to align multiple screws or nails correctly, such that they all correspond to the positions of the slotted apertures 104a-b, 222a-b. The fixing plate 600 overcomes these problems by providing fixing lugs 602a-b that are correctly dimensioned and relatively positioned for the corresponding slotted apertures in the security cowl 100, 200.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the fixing plate may be configured to extend around a letterbox aperture, for example, around at least three sides thereof. The fixing plate may have a U-shape when viewed in a front elevation, e.g. comprising pair of legs that can be positioned on either side of the letterbox aperture and connected by an elongate bar. The legs may be provided with the retaining lugs, thus the relative alignment of the retaining lugs with the corresponding fixing apertures of a security cowl is simplified. The fixing plate may be provided in a variety of sizes in order to fit multiple different security cowls. Alternatively, the U-shaped fixing plate may be adjustable, for example, the width of the plate may be adjustable. In one embodiment, the elongate bar may be extendable in order to increase the separation between the pair of legs.

The skilled person will be able to envisage alternative embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A security cowl assembly for fitting to an internal surface of a door comprising a letterbox aperture providing direct access through the door, the security cowl assembly comprising: a limiter configured to limit a maximum displacement of a security cover, wherein the limiter is configured such that the security cover is operable between a first security cover position at least partially covering the letterbox aperture and a second security cover position at the maximum displacement, at which direct access through the letterbox aperture is disrupted.

2. A security cowl according to claim 1, wherein the limiter is configured to limit the maximum displacement of an internal letter plate, and wherein security cover comprises the internal letter plate.

3. A security cowl assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the limiter is configured to limit rotational displacement of the security cover.

4. A security cowl assembly according to claim 3, wherein the limiter comprises a lip projecting inwardly to provide a mechanical end stop in an arc of rotation of the security cover.

5. A security cowl assembly according to claim 4, wherein the lip projects inwardly and across a breadth of the security cover.

6. A security cowl assembly according to claim 5, wherein the lip extends only partly across the breadth of the security cover.

7. A security cowl assembly according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the lip is configured to contact only a part of the security cover to limit the maximum displacement of the security cover.

8. A security cowl assembly according to claim 7, wherein the lip is configured to contact the security cover only in a portion of the security cover from a first longitudinal edge to a point not more than a quarter of the way across the breadth of the security cover.

9. A security cowl assembly according to any preceding claim, further comprising side covers, configured to restrict lateral access through the letterbox aperture when the security cover is in the second security cover position.

10. A security cowl assembly according to claim 9, wherein the side covers are moveable from a first side cover position to a second side cover position by movement of the security cover from the first security cover position to the second security cover position.

11. A security cowl assembly according to claim 10, wherein the side covers are rotatable relative to the door between the first and second side cover positions.

12. A security cowl assembly according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the side covers are biased towards the first side cover position.

13. A security cowl assembly according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the side covers comprise substantially flat plates.

14. A security cowl assembly according to any preceding claim, further comprising sides in connection with the limiter and configured to be positioned at opposed sides of the letterbox aperture.

15. A security cowl assembly according to any preceding claim, further comprising the security cover.

16. A security cowl assembly according to claim 15, wherein the security cover comprises a substantially flat plate.

17. A door comprising a security cowl assembly according to any preceding claim.

18. A door according to claim 17, further comprising an internal letter plate, wherein the security cover comprises the internal letter plate.

19. A fixing plate for fixing to an internal face of a door and for fixing a security cowl or security cowl assembly to the internal face of the door, the fixing plate comprising: one or more fixing lugs, each fixing lug comprising a stem and a fixing head, the stem and the fixing head configured to provide a retaining surface against which the security cowl assembly may be retained against the door.

20. A fixing plate according to claim 19, wherein the stem comprises at least one cross sectional dimension that is less than a corresponding cross sectional dimension of the fixing head.

21. A fixing plate according to claim 20, wherein the stem and the fixing head have a circular cross section, and wherein the cross sectional dimension is a diameter.

22. A fixing plate according to any of claims 19 to 21, wherein the length of the stem is at least greater than or equal to a width of a back plate of a security cowl or security cowl assembly.

23. A fixing plate according to any of claims 19 to 22, further comprising one or more fixing apertures configured to receive a fixing member for fixing the fixing plate to the internal face of the door.

24. A fixing plate according to claim 23, wherein the fixing member is a screw.

25. A fixing plate according to any of claims 19 to 24, further comprising a securing aperture configured to correspond with a securing aperture of a security cowl or security cowl assembly, such that a further fixing member may be received through the securing apertures of the fixing plate and the security cowl.

26. A door comprising a security cowl or security cowl assembly fitted to the door using the fixing plate of any of claims 19 to 25.

27. A kit of parts comprising a fixing plate according to any of claims 19 to 25 and a security cowl or security cowl assembly.

28. A kit of parts according to claim 27, wherein the security cowl or security cowl assembly is a security cowl assembly according to any of claims 1 to 18.

29. A security cowl assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

30. A fixing plate substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.