GB2384513A

GB2384513A - Movable spy-hole

Info

Publication number: GB2384513A
Application number: GB0201842A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kimberly Gebbett; Carla Turok; Katherine Eccles; Rimca Karmaker; Vanessa Waters; Linda Yeates; Catriona Harvey; Nashreen Paraouty; Victoria Smith; Dania Shakeri; Amy Sullivan; Clare Gibbons; Kate Turok; Rhonda Sturley; Lucy Barbor; Rebecca Crane; Alan Tracey; Nicola Kibble; Susan Yeates; Arthur Penny
Original assignee: GREENACRE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Ltd
Current assignee: GREENACRE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Ltd
Priority date: 2002-01-26
Filing date: 2002-01-26
Publication date: 2003-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 2022-01-26
Also published as: GB2384513B; GB0201842D0

Abstract

A movable spy-hole 6 for mounting in a door 2 or other substrate is adjustable in height and is movable along a channel 10. A retaining means (fig 3, 18) is provided for retaining the spy-hole at a desired location in the channel. The channel may be vertical, or may be inclined at an angle from the vertical.

Description

SECURITY APPARATUS This invention relates to a security apparatus and more particularly to a sliding spyhole.

It is generally known to provide doors with a spy-hole, usually containing a wide angle or fish-eye lens, to enable the occupant of a house to identify a caller without being seen by the caller. Such spy-holes are usually mounted in a secure part of the door, for example a central frame member. Spy-holes are typically fixed immovably in the door frame and this is not generally a problem for most healthy members of the population. Thus, in most cases, bending or stooping, or stretching on tip-toe to look through the spy-hole does not present any significant problems. However, with persons of restricted mobility and restricted joint movement and more particularly with elderly people, the act of stretching or bending to look through a spy-hole can be a difficult and potentially painful act. Consequently, there exists the risk that an elderly or infirm householder will neglect to use a spy-hole thereby negating what is otherwise a very valuable item of security equipment.

This invention sets out to provide a means of overcoming or at least substantially alleviating the aforementioned problem.

Accordingly, the invention provides a movable spy-hole for mounting in a door or other substrate, the spy-hole being adjustable in height and being movable along a channel, means being provided for retaining the spy-hole at a desired location in the channel between the ends thereof.

The channel typically has at least a vertical component and may be substantially vertical. Alternatively, the channel could be inclined at an angle from the vertical provided that the vertical component of the channel is such as to allow for sufficient adjustment of the height of the spy-hole.

The spy-hole can be mounted on a plate which is slidable in the channel, the plate serving to close the channel so as to maintain security and prevent onlookers seeing through the door panel.

The sliding plate is typically of elongate form and may, for example, be in the form of an elongate strip of a suitably tough material such as a metal (eg mild steel or brass) or a plastics material.

The sliding plate or bar can be slidable in an elongate groove set into the interior of the door panel.

The spy-hole is provided with means for locking a spy-hole in place at any one of a number of desired locations between the ends of the channel. In one embodiment, the means for locking the spy-hole in place can take the form of a clamping arrangement whereby the spy-hole is clamped firmly against the outer surface of the door. For example, the spy-hole can have an outer enlarged head portion of greater width than the channel, a central cylindrical portion and means for tightening against the central cylindrical portion to draw the outer enlarged portion against the front panel of the door in a clamping arrangement. Alternatively, a clamping plate could be provided on the rear or inner side of the door with locking means such as a threaded screw being arranged to clamp the outer enlarged portion of the spy-hole and the clamping plate against the opposite sides of the door frame.

As an alternative to clamping arrangements, the locking means can take the form of a friction fit between the sliding plate or bar and the channel, or a ratchet mechanism.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a door or other substrate fitted with a spyhole as hereinbefore defined.

The invention will now be illustrated, but not limited, by reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings of which: Figure 1 is a view from one side of a door illustrating a portion of a door frame member including a spy-hole; Figure 2 is a view from the opposite side of the door of the spy-hole arrangement of Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation along line I-I in Figure 1 ; Figure 4 is a view from the rear of an alternative spy-hole arrangement; and Figure 5 is a view from the opposite side of the spy-hole of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure I illustrates a frame member 2 of a door into the front surface of which has been cut a generally rectangular slot 4. Extending outwardly and overlapping the edges of the slot is the enlarged head portion 8 of a spyhole device 6. Spy-hole device 6 is loosely mounted in an elongate sliding plate 10 which slides along a recessed groove 12 cut into an inner surface of the door frame member 2.

As can be seen in Figure 2, the sliding plate and recess are covered by an internal wooden plate 12 which in this embodiment is-stapled into place, but could be made more easily removable by the use of screws. Alternatively, the plate 12 could be made non-removable by gluing firmly in place.

Referring to Figure 3, spy-hole 6 comprises a generally cylindrical portion 14 to the end of which is attached the enlarged head portion 8. A wide angle lens 16 is mounted within the end of the cylindrical portion 14 and is surrounded by the domeshaped enlarged head 8. A threaded collar or sleeve 18 is attached to the threaded outer surface of the cylindrical section 14, the collar 18 having a flanged end 20, with a cross cut 22 to allow a screwdriver or other bladed implement to be used to assist adjustment of the collar on the cylindrical portion.

In the arrangement shown, the cylindrical portion 14 is held loosely within a hole 23 in the metal plate 10. Consequently, as the threaded collar or sleeve 18 is tightened onto the cylindrical portion 14, the end 18a of the collar and the inner surface 8a of the enlarged head portion 8 together serve to clamp the surface 8a firmly against the outer surface of the door frame member 2, with end 18a simultaneously clamping against the metal plate 10 beyond the periphery of the hole 23. Channels 24 allow secure upper and lower movement of the metal plate 10.

The advantage of the arrangement shown is that the vertical position of the spy-hole can readily be adjusted by unscrewing the threaded collar 18 and moving the spy-hole in a vertical plane to the desired height and then re-fastening the threaded collar 18 at the desired location.

By mounting the spy-hole in a metal plate, it is ensured that the channel is closed so that visitors to a house cannot see round the spy-hole and into the house, thereby providing extra security to the householder.

The arrangement shown in Figures I to 3 illustrates a spy-hole apparatus in which the spy-hole can be clamped in place. As an alternative, however, other fastening means may be used. In Figures 4 and 5 there is shown an arrangement in which a bolt 102 is used to hold the spy-hole in one of the desired number of vertical positions. However, the arrangement shown in Figures 4 and 5 is less preferred on the basis that it provides only a set number of locking locations, whereas the arrangement of Figures 1 to 3 provides an infinite number of such positions.

In some of the drawings, exemplary dimensions are given, but it should be noted that these are for the purposes of illustration only and have no limiting effect on the scope of the invention. It will also readily be appreciated that numerous modifications and alterations can be made to the spy-hole as shown in the accompanying drawings without departing from the principles underlying this invention and all such modifications and alternations are intended to be within the scope of this application.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A moveable spy-hole for mounting in a door or other substrate, the spy-hole being adjustable in height and being movable along a channel, means being provided for retaining the spy-hole at a desired location in the channel between the ends thereof.
2. A movable spy-hole according to claim 1 wherein the channel has at least a vertical component.
3. A movable spy-hole according to claim 2 wherein the channel is substantially vertical.
4. A movable spy-hole according to claim 2 wherein the channel is inclined at an angle from the vertical.
5. A movable spy-hole according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the spy-hole is mounted on a plate which is slidable in the channel, the plate serving to close the channel so as to prevent onlookers seeing through the door panel.
6. A movable spy-hole according to claim 5 wherein the sliding plate is of elongate form and takes the form of an elongate strip of a suitably tough material such as a metal (eg mild steel or brass) or a plastics material.
7. A movable spy-hole according to claim 6 wherein the sliding plate is slidable in an elongate groove set into the interior of the door panel.
8. A movable spy-hole according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for locking the spy-hole in place at any one of a number of desired locations between the ends of the channel takes the form of a clamping

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arrangement whereby the spy-hole is clamped firmly against the outer surface of the door.
9. A movable spy-hole according to claim 8 wherein the spy-hole has an outer enlarged head portion of greater width than the channel, a central cylindrical portion and means for tightening against the central cylindrical portion to draw the outer enlarged portion against the front panel of the door in a clamping arrangement.
10. A movable spy-hole substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
11. A door or other substrate fitted with a spy-hole as defined in any one of the preceding claims.

11. A door or other substrate fitted with a spy-hole as defined in any one of the preceding claims.

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Amended claims have been filed as followed

CLAIMS 1. A moveable spy-hole for mounting in a door or other substrate, the spy-hole being adjustable in height and being movable along a channel, means being provided for retaining the spy-hole at a desired location in the channel between the ends thereof.

2. A movable spy-hole according to claim I wherein the channel has at least a vertical component.

3. A movable spy-hole according to claim 2 wherein the channel is substantially vertical.

4. A movable spy-hole according to claim 2 wherein the channel is inclined at an angle from the vertical.

5. A movable spy-hole according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the spy-hole is mounted on a plate which is sfidable in the channel, the plate serving to close the channel so as to prevent onlookers seeing through the door panel.

6. A movable spy-hole according to claim 5 wherein the sliding plate is of elongate form and takes the form of an elongate strip of a suitably tough material such as a metal (eg mild steel or brass) or a plastics material.

7. A movable spy-hole according to claim 6 wherein the sliding plate is slidable in an elongate groove set into the interior of the door panel.

8. A movable spy-hole according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for locking the spy-hole in place at any one of a number of desired locations between the ends of the channel takes the form of a clamping

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arrangement whereby the spy-hole is clamped firmly against the outer surface of the door.

9. A movable spy-hole according to claim 8 wherein the spy-hole has an outer enlarged head portion of greater width than the channel, a central cylindrical portion and means for tightening against the central cylindrical portion to draw the outer enlarged portion against the front panel of the door in a clamping arrangement.

10. A movable spy-hole substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.