Door securing device

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6658695
  • Patent Number
    6,658,695
  • Date Filed
    Friday, August 9, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 9, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
A door securing device for securing screen door in an open position once it has been opened. The door securing device includes a housing comprising a perimeter wall. The perimeter wall defines an interior space of the housing. The housing is designed for being slidably positioned on a door rod of the screen door opposite a door cylinder of the screen door. A cable assembly is positioned in the interior space of the housing. The cable assembly is designed for being coupled to the screen door opposite the housing. The cable assembly is designed for drawing the housing towards the door cylinder whereby the housing engages the door cylinder and the door rod to maintain the door cylinder in position on the door rod for inhibiting closing of the screen door.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to door holding mechanisms and more particularly pertains to a new door securing device for securing screen door in an open position once it has been opened.




2. Description of the Prior Art




The use of door holding mechanisms is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,925 describes a device for engaging the door cylinder of a door and maintain position of the door cylinder to inhibit the door cylinder from closing the door. Another type of door holding mechanism is U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,004 having a device being coupled to a door check unit for keeping a door in a fully opened position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,264 has a releasable latch for engaging a door check unit to selectively inhibit closing the screen door until released by the user. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,722,116 and 4,815,163 each have a mechanism for engaging the door check unit of a screen door for securing the screen door in an open position. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 356,938 shows an attachment to prevent the operation of a storm door closer mechanism.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new door securing device that does not require the hands of the user to set the housing in position against the door cylinder.




Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new door securing device that is easily removable when not needed.




To this end, the present invention generally comprises a housing comprising a perimeter wall. The perimeter wall defines an interior space of the housing. The housing is designed for being slidably positioned on a door rod of the screen door opposite a door cylinder of the screen door. A cable assembly is positioned in the interior space of the housing. The cable assembly is designed for being coupled to the screen door opposite the housing. The cable assembly is designed for drawing the housing towards the door cylinder whereby the housing engages the door cylinder and the door rod to maintain the door cylinder in position on the door rod for inhibiting closing of the screen door.




There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.




The objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a new door securing device according to the present invention shown in use.





FIG. 2

is a side view of the present invention shown in use.





FIG. 3

is a cross-sectional view of the present invention taken along line


3





3


of FIG.


1


.





FIG. 4

is a cross-section view of the present invention taken along line


4





4


of FIG.


2


.





FIG. 5

is a front view of the present invention showing the bottom wall in the open position.





FIG. 6

is a front view of the present invention showing the bottom wall in the closed position.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to

FIGS. 1 through 6

thereof, a new door securing device embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral


10


will be described.




As best illustrated in

FIGS. 1 through 6

, the door securing device


10


generally comprises a housing


11


comprising a perimeter wall


12


. The perimeter wall


12


defines an interior space


13


of the housing


11


. The housing


11


is designed for being slidably positioned on a door rod


1


of the screen door opposite a door cylinder


2


of the screen door.




A cable assembly


14


is positioned in the interior space


13


of the housing


11


. The cable assembly


14


is designed for being coupled to the screen door opposite the housing


11


. The cable assembly


14


is designed for drawing the housing


11


towards the door cylinder


2


whereby the housing


11


engages the door cylinder


2


and the door rod


1


to maintain the door cylinder


2


in position on the door rod


1


for inhibiting closing of the screen door.




The perimeter wall


12


of the housing


11


comprises a pair of side walls


15


. Each of the side walls


15


comprises a slot


16


extending from a bottom edge


17


of the associated one of the side walls


15


. The slot


16


of each of the side walls


15


is designed for receiving the door rod


1


for positioning the housing


11


around the door rod


1


.




The perimeter wall


12


of the housing


11


comprises a bottom wall


18


. The bottom wall


18


is hingably coupled to one of a pair of end walls


19


of the perimeter wall


12


. The bottom wall


18


is pivotal from a closed position to an open position to permit the door rod


1


to be removed from the slot


16




s


in the side walls


15


for permitting removal of the housing


11


from the door rod


1


.




A securing member


20


is coupled to the bottom wall


18


of the housing


11


. The securing member


20


is positionable in the interior space


13


of the housing


11


when the bottom wall


18


is in the closed position. The securing member


20


is designed for engaging the door rod


1


of the screen door for maintaining alignment of the housing


11


with the door rod


1


.




The securing member


20


comprises a free end


21


. The free end


21


of the securing member


20


has a concave depression


22


. The concave depression


22


is designed for seating the door rod


1


in the free end


21


of the securing member


20


for inhibiting slipping of the securing member


20


from the door rod


1


when the housing


11


is sliding on the door rod


1


.




A locking member


23


is selectively extendable through the bottom wall


18


of the housing


11


and engages one of the side walls


15


of the housing


11


. The locking member


23


secures the bottom wall


18


to the associated one the side walls


15


when the bottom wall


18


is in the closed position.




A pair of retaining members


24


are positioned in the interior space


13


of the housing


11


. Each of the retaining members


24


is coupled to one of the side walls


15


of the perimeter wall


12


. Each of the retaining members


24


is designed for securing a stop tab


3


of the screen door to the associated one of the side walls


15


for maintaining alignment of the stop tab


3


with the door rod


1


for inhibiting closing of the door when the housing


11


is abutting the door cylinder


2


. The retaining members


24


are loosely positioned around the stop tab


3


to allow the stop tab


3


to pivot with respect to door rod


1


for inhibiting closing of the screen door.




The cable assembly


14


comprises a cable member


25


and a winding portion


26


. The cable member


25


extends through the perimeter wall


12


of the housing


11


whereby a distal end


27


of the cable member


25


is designed for being coupled to the screen door opposite the housing


11


. The winding portion


26


is coupled to the housing


11


. The winding portion


26


winds the cable member


25


onto the winding portion


26


for drawing the housing


11


towards the door cylinder


2


when the screen door is opened.




In use, the user pivots the bottom wall


18


to open position and slides the door rod


1


into the slot


16




s


of the side walls


15


. The stop tab


3


is positioned between the retaining members


24


and the associated one of the side walls


15


. The bottom wall


18


is pivoted to the closed position and the securing member


20


engages the door rod


1


. The free end


21


of the cable member


25


is coupled to screed door opposite the housing


11


. As the screen door is opened the winding portion


26


winds the cable back onto the winding portion


26


to maintain proximity to the door cylinder


2


and as the screen door is open fully the stop tab


3


is tipped against door rod


1


and presses against the associated one of the side walls


15


to engage the door cylinder


2


to inhibit movement of the door cylinder


2


with respect the rod member. To close the door the user needs only to push the door closed and allow the biasing force of the door cylinder


2


to close the screen door.




With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.




Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. A door securing device for securing a screen door in an open position, the door securing device comprising:a housing comprising a perimeter wall, said perimeter wall defining an interior space of said housing, said housing being adapted for being slidably positioned on a door rod of the screen door opposite a door cylinder of the screen door; and a cable assembly being positioned in said interior space of said housing, said cable assembly being adapted for being coupled to said screen door opposite said housing, said cable assembly being adapted for drawing said housing towards the door cylinder such that said housing engages the door cylinder and the door rod to maintain the door cylinder in position on the door rod for inhibiting closing of the screen door.
  • 2. The door securing device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:said perimeter wall of said housing comprising a pair of side walls, each of said side walls comprising a slot extending from a bottom edge of the associated one of said side walls, said slot of each of said side walls being adapted for receiving the door rod for positioning said housing around the door rod.
  • 3. The door securing device as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:said perimeter wall of said housing comprising a bottom wall, said bottom wall being hingably coupled to one of a pair of end walls of said perimeter wall, said bottom wall being pivotal from a closed position to an open position to permit the door rod to be removed from said slots in said side walls for permitting removal of said housing from the door rod.
  • 4. The door securing device as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:a securing member being coupled to said bottom wall of said housing, said securing member being positionable in said interior space of said housing when said bottom wall is in the closed position, said securing member being adapted for engaging the door rod of the screen door for maintaining alignment of said housing with the door rod.
  • 5. The door securing device as set forth in claim 4, further comprising:said securing member comprising a free end, said free end of said securing member having a concave depression, said concave depression being adapted for seating the door rod in said free end of said securing member for inhibiting slipping of said securing member from the door rod when said housing is sliding on the door rod.
  • 6. The door securing device as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:a locking member being selectively extendable through said bottom wall of said housing and engaging one of said side walls of said housing, said locking member securing said bottom wall to the associated one said side walls when said bottom wall is in the closed position.
  • 7. The door securing device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:a pair of retaining members being positioned in said interior space of said housing, each of said retaining members being coupled to one of a pair of side walls of said perimeter wall, each of said retaining members being adapted for securing a stop tab of the screen door to the associated one of said side walls for maintaining alignment of the stop tab with the door rod for inhibiting closing of the door when said housing is abutting the door cylinder.
  • 8. The door securing device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:said cable assembly comprising a cable member and a winding portion, said cable member extending through said perimeter wall of said housing such that a distal end of said cable member is adapted for being coupled to the screen door opposite said housing, said winding portion being coupled to said housing, said winding portion winding said cable member onto said winding portion for drawing said housing towards the door cylinder when the screen door is opened.
  • 9. A door securing device for securing a screen door in an open position, the door securing device comprising:a housing comprising a perimeter wall, said perimeter wall defining an interior space of said housing, said housing being adapted for being slidably positioned on a door rod of the screen door opposite a door cylinder of the screen door; a cable assembly being positioned in said interior space of said housing, said cable assembly being adapted for being coupled to said screen door opposite said housing, said cable assembly being adapted for drawing said housing towards the door cylinder such that said housing engages the door cylinder and the door rod to maintain the door cylinder in position on the door rod for inhibiting closing of the screen door; said perimeter wall of said housing comprising a pair of side walls, each of said side walls comprising a slot extending from a bottom edge of the associated one of said side walls, said slot of each of said side walls being adapted for receiving the door rod for positioning said housing around the door rod; said perimeter wall of said housing comprising a bottom wall, said bottom wall being hingably coupled to one of a pair of end walls of said perimeter wall, said bottom wall being pivotal from a closed position to an open position to permit the door rod to be removed from said slots in said side walls for permitting removal of said housing from the door rod; a securing member being coupled to said bottom wall of said housing, said securing member being positionable in said interior space of said housing when said bottom wall is in the closed position, said securing member being adapted for engaging the door rod of the screen door for maintaining alignment of said housing with the door rod; said securing member comprising a free end, said free end of said securing member having a concave depression, said concave depression being adapted for seating the door rod in said free end of said securing member for inhibiting slipping of said securing member from the door rod when said housing is sliding on the door rod; a locking member being selectively extendable through said bottom wall of said housing and engaging one of said side walls of said housing, said locking member securing said bottom wall to the associated one said side walls when said bottom wall is in the closed position; a pair of retaining members being positioned in said interior space of said housing, each of said retaining members being coupled to one of said side walls of said perimeter wall, each of said retaining members being adapted for securing a stop tab of the screen door to the associated one of said side walls for maintaining alignment of the stop tab with the door rod for inhibiting closing of the door when said housing is abutting the door cylinder; and said cable assembly comprising a cable member and a winding portion, said cable member extending through said perimeter wall of said housing such that a distal end of said cable member is adapted for being coupled to the screen door opposite said housing, said winding portion being coupled to said housing, said winding portion winding said cable member onto said winding portion for drawing said housing towards the door cylinder when the screen door is opened.
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Number Name Date Kind
3579708 Lee May 1971 A
3785004 Stoffregen Jan 1974 A
3934306 Farris Jan 1976 A
4194264 Stoffregen Mar 1980 A
4722116 Erickson Feb 1988 A
4815163 Simmons Mar 1989 A
5048150 Guerin Sep 1991 A
D356938 Duffy Apr 1995 S
5592780 Checkovich Jan 1997 A
5622007 Archer Apr 1997 A
5630248 Luca May 1997 A
5659925 Patterson Aug 1997 A
5832562 Luca Nov 1998 A
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number Date Country
3142959 Mar 1983 DE
WO 9612077 Apr 1996 WO