Patent Application
20200284086
The disclosed subject matter relates to the field of manually operated, door frame protection devices and, in particular, to door frame guards for protecting doorway frames or door jambs while moving or construction of building interiors.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. The following notice applies to the disclosure provided herein and to the drawings that form a part of this document: Copyright 2018-2019, Bruce Volpe; All Rights Reserved.
Furniture or construction materials and equipment may be passed through the door openings defined by doorway frames or door jambs. In many cases, while moving furniture or construction materials through doorways, the door jambs and/or door trim of the finished door frame are struck and damaged by the materials and equipment passing through the door openings. The damaged door jambs and door trim must be repaired with considerable time and expense. The edges of the door jambs and door trim are particularly vulnerable to damage when struck by materials or equipment. In order to protect these edges, some type of guard may be placed over the finished door frame until the moving or construction has been completed. However, conventional protective devices do not lend themselves to temporary installation on a door frame during moving or the construction phase of a building.
A door frame guard for protecting doorway frames or door jambs while moving or construction of building interiors is disclosed. It is desirable to provide a door frame guard, which has sufficient stiffness to withstand severe impacts, yet has a capability to resist transmitting the force of these impacts to the edges of door jambs and trim. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a door frame guard, which is inexpensive, may be installed over a door frame easily, can grip the door frame without requiring external fastening devices, may be removed from a door frame easily, and may be reused. An example embodiment as disclosed herein includes: an adjustable door frame guard comprising: a first portion having a shell with a front panel integrated with a first side panel, the first side panel being configured with an inward inflection angle; a second portion having a shell with a front panel integrated with a second side panel, the second side panel being configured with an inward inflection angle, the second side panel including at least one notched portion, the first portion and the second portion including interior cushioning attached to the shell; and an adjustment slide adjustably and removably connecting the first portion to the second portion at the front panel with tensioning screws. The various example embodiments are described in more detail below.
Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the disclosed subject matter can be practiced. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed subject matter.
In various example embodiments disclosed herein, a door frame guard is described. In the described example embodiments, the door frame guard provides sufficient stiffness to withstand severe impacts, yet has a cushioning capability to resist transmitting the force of these impacts to the edges of door jambs and trim. Additionally, the door frame guard of the various example embodiments can be inexpensively manufactured. The example door frame guard may be easily installed over a door frame, can grip the door frame without requiring external fastening devices, may be removed from a door frame easily, and may be reused. Additional details of various example embodiments are provided below.
In various example embodiments, the shell portion of the door frame guard 100 can be fabricated from a variety of materials including plastic, fiberglass, rubber, metal, or wood. The material used provides a rigid front panel 110, which can withstand forceful impacts as objects are moved through the doorway. However, the material used also provides a level of flex so the door frame side panels 120 can be spread outwardly reducing the inward inflection to enable the side panels 120 to fit over the door jamb or doorway trim. Once the door frame guard 100 is removably installed on the door jamb or doorway trim, the flexible nature of the material used for the door frame guard 100 applies a force to the door jamb or doorway trim to keep the door frame guard 100 in place. As a result, the front panel 110 and side panels 120 of the door frame guard 100 protect the door jamb and doorway trim from impact damage. The length and width of the shell portion of the door frame guard 100 can be varied to accommodate a variety of sizes of doorways, door jambs, trim surfaces, and the like.
The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments, and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and features of components and systems that might make use of the structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the description provided herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The figures herein are merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
The description herein may include terms, such as “up”, “down”, “upper”, “lower”, “first”, “second”, etc. that are used only for descriptive purposes and not to be construed as limiting. The elements, materials, geometries, dimensions, and sequence of operations may all be varied for particular applications. Parts of some embodiments may be included in, or substituted for, those of other embodiments. While the foregoing examples of dimensions and ranges are considered typical, the various embodiments are not limited to such dimensions or ranges.
The Abstract is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments have more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
As described herein, a door frame guard for protecting doorway frames or door jambs while moving or construction of building interiors is disclosed. Although the disclosed subject matter has been described with reference to several example embodiments, it may be understood that the words that have been used are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosed subject matter in all its aspects. Although the disclosed subject matter has been described with reference to particular means, materials, and embodiments, the disclosed subject matter is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed; rather, the subject matter extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods, and uses such as are within the scope of the appended claims.
