1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a safety device for doors. More specifically, the present invention relates to a safety device for doors of lockable receptacles (e.g., safes, vaults, fire-resistant cabinets, automatic teller machines, etc.) that is designed to prevent injuries resulting from user's body parts (e.g., fingers and hands) being crushed by a closing door.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, many different safety devices for doors are available for preventing door-related injuries caused by body parts being pinched, trapped, or crushed by a closing door. For example, rubber safety strips are often added to cover the hinge side of doors. Such devices prevent finger trapping accidents by completely covering the gap that is created on the hinge side of a door when the door is in an open position. Other door safety devices (e.g., door stops, door holders, door bumpers, etc.) prevent injuries by holding doors in fully or partially open positions. These devices prevent latching or complete closure of a door and help prevent small fingers and hands from being pinched or crushed in doors and door hinges. For example, door bumpers are made of pliable foam or rubber like material and are configured to attach to the handle-side edge of a door in order to form a soft cushion between the edge of the door and the door frame to prevent the door from completely closing when the door is slammed shut.
While many safety devices for doors currently exist, current devices are designed for use on conventional interior doors of homes to protect people, especially children, from injuring their fingers, hands, etc. from being pinched or caught in a doorjamb. These current devices are not designed or appropriate for use on doors of safes and similar lockable receptacles that include doors weighing hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
The disclosed device is especially designed for use on a safe or the like, especially large-size stationary safes that are often used in businesses such as banks, jewelry stores, or any other business that stores large amounts of money or valuables. Such safes are generally box-shaped and include a lockable, outwardly swinging door hinged to a side wall of the safe for permitting and preventing access to the interior of the safe. These safes typically weigh one thousand or more pounds each and the door of such a safe weighs approximately one-third of the total weight of the safe. Due to the durability, size, and weight of safe doors, inadvertently closing a safe door on one's fingers or hand results in severe injuries and oftentimes requires amputation of the injured body part.
Current door safety devices are not designed for use with doors of lockable receptacles such as safes and the like. Current devices made for conventional interior doors, which weigh a fraction of the weight of safe doors, are not sturdy enough for use with safes. The cushiony foam-like material used to make many current devices does not prevent a heavy safe door from completely closing and latching, and therefore, does not prevent injuries of body parts positioned between a safe and a closing door. Additionally, the purpose of safes is to lock away and protect valuables. Therefore, devices designed to hold doors in fully or partially open positions are not practical for use with safes.
Currently, a need exists for a safety device that protects users' body parts from being injured by a closing door of a lockable receptacle such as a safe. A safety device is needed that is made of a strong, durable material that can withstand the force of a closing door weighing hundreds or even thousands of pounds. Additionally, the safety device must allow the door of the lockable receptacle to properly latch and lock away valuables stored inside the lockable receptacle. Furthermore, a device is needed that prevents a large, heavy door of a lockable receptacle from injuring a user when the door inadvertently closes while a body part of the user is positioned between the lockable receptacle and the closing door.
In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that a need exists in the art for a safety device for doors of lockable receptacles which overcomes, mitigates or solves the above problems in the art. It is a purpose of this invention to fulfill this and other needs in the art which will become more apparent to the skilled artisan once given the following disclosure.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above described drawbacks associated with current devices. To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present disclosure describes a safety device for doors of lockable receptacles, such as safes and the like.
The disclosed device generally comprises a base member attachable to a lockable receptacle; an arm member having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is attached to the base member; and a wedge member forming a portion of the arm member, wherein upon opening the door of the lockable receptacle, the wedge member becomes positioned between the open door and the lockable receptacle, thereby preventing closure of the door on a user's body part positioned between the door and the lockable receptacle.
One object of the disclosed invention is to protect users' body parts from being injured by a closing door of a lockable receptacle, such as a safe. Unlike existing door safety devices, the present device is made of a strong, durable material that can withstand the force of a closing door weighing hundreds or even thousands of pounds. For example, the device may be made of steel, stainless steel, or any other material that is sturdy enough to withstand the force of a lockable receptacle door being slammed shut. Additionally, the disclosed device is uniquely configured to withstand the hundreds or thousands of pounds of force that may be exerted upon the safety device upon closure of a door of a lockable receptacle.
Another object of the disclosed device is to allow doors of lockable receptacles to properly latch and lock away valuables stored inside the lockable receptacle. The disclosed device is configured so that a door of a lockable receptacle can be opened without touching or moving the safety device. The wedge member on the arm member of the device is configured so that upon opening the door, the door automatically forces the distal end of the arm member to pivot upwardly as the door opens (see
These, together with other objects of the invention, along with various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is described illustrative embodiments of the invention.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. It is to be expressly understood that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. In the drawings:
The terms “top,” “bottom,” “side,” “front,” “upwardly,” and “downwardly” are used in the specification to describe the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying Figures. It should be appreciated that in actual use, an embodiment of the invention may be rotated as needed to accomplish the objectives of the invention. As a result of such rotation, the various terms used herein of “top,” “bottom,” “side,” “front,” “upwardly,” “downwardly” and the like may not literally apply to a particular arrangement. Such terms are relative and are used herein to describe the Figures for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the embodiments shown to any particular orientation.
Referring now to
The safety device 10 according to the present disclosure includes a base member 12 attachable to a lockable receptacle 18. The base member 12 may include attachment members 13 for attaching the base member 12 to the lockable receptacle 18. The accompanying Figures depict the attachment members 13 as apertures for receiving fasteners for attaching the base member 12 to the lockable receptacle 18. One skilled in the art can appreciate that there are many other possibilities that exist for attaching the base member 12 to a lockable receptacle 18, all of which are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Additionally, in the embodiment depicted in
The safety device 10 according to the present disclosure further includes an arm member 14 having a distal end 24 and a proximal end 23. The proximal end 23 of the arm member 14 is attached to the base member 12. As shown in the accompanying Figures, a fastener 16 may be utilized for pivotally attaching the arm member 14 to the base member 12. In the depicted embodiment, the base member 12 is U-shaped and the proximal end 23 of the arm member 14 is disposed within the cavity 22 formed in the U-shaped base member 12 so that the fastener 16 can extend through the first projection 25 of the U-shaped base member 12 and then through the proximal end 23 of the arm member 14 and then through the second projection 26 of the U-shaped base member 12. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the base member 12 may be configured in a variety of ways in order to provide for attachment of the proximal end 23 of the arm member 14 to the base member 12, all of which embodiments are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The arm member 14 further includes a wedge member 15 forming a portion of the arm member 14. In the depicted embodiment, the wedge member 15 is located on the distal end 24 of the arm member 14. However, the arm member 14 may be extended to form a handle so that the wedge member 15 is located toward the center portion of the arm member 14. Preferably, the wedge member 15 is designed to allow the door 19 of the lockable receptacle 18 to open without the door 19 being hindered or obstructed by the safety device 10. In other words, the wedge member 15 is preferably configured so that a user does not have to manually lift the handle member 11 of the safety device 10 in order to open the door 19 of the lockable receptacle 18. As shown in the accompanying Figures, the wedge member 15 may be triangular-shaped. This configuration, allows the distal end 24 of the arm member 14 of the device 10 to easily pivot upwardly to allow for opening of the door 19 of the lockable receptacle 18 without hindering or obstructing the movement of the door 19 to an open position, and without requiring the user to manually lift the handle member 11 of the safety device 10 in order to open the door 19, as shown in
Once the door 19 opens, the wedge member 15 is designed to fall between the open door 19 and the lockable receptacle 18 and thereby prevents complete closure of the door 19, as shown in
As shown in the accompanying Figures, the safety device 10 according to the present disclosure may further include a handle member 11 for moving, pivoting or lifting the distal end 24 of the arm member 14 of the device 10 in order to move or reposition the wedge member 15. The handle member 11 may be designed in a variety of ways, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Additionally, the handle member 11 may attach to the arm member 14 in various ways.
Turning to
As depicted in
It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the device provided herein are illustrative only. Although only a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in these embodiments (such as variations in orientation of the components of the system, sizes, structures, shapes and proportions of the various components, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the invention.
Many other uses of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon acquiring a thorough understanding of the present invention. Once given the above disclosures, many other features, modifications and variations will become apparent to the skilled artisan in view of the teachings set forth herein. Such other uses, features, modifications and variations are, therefore, considered to be a part of this invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the following claims.
This application is related to and claims priority from earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/885,073, filed Oct. 1, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61885073 | Oct 2013 | US |