WO1993018268A1

WO1993018268A1 - Door finger guard

Info

Publication number: WO1993018268A1
Application number: PCT/GB1993/000447
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steven Frank Charnock
Original assignee: Stecol Enterprises Limited
Priority date: 1992-03-05
Filing date: 1993-03-04
Publication date: 1993-09-16

Abstract

A safety device comprises an elongate member having a first portion (4) which is securable to a door (22) and a second portion (6) which is securable to a door frame (24), the first and second portions being hingeable relative to each other about a longitudinal substantially medial position, the first and second portions being movable from a first, door closed position in which the first and second portions are in substantially abutting relationship to a second, door open position in which the first and second portions are in spaced relationship, the first and second portions moving about said longitudinal substantially medial position during movement of said first position to said second position.

Description

DOOR FINGER GUARD

This invention relates to safety devices, and more particularly to such devices for doors and door frames to prevent trapping of fingers between the door and the door frame.

It frequently happens that children - and indeed adults - trap their fingers between a door and a door frame, both ' at the hinge side of the door and at the opposite side of the door, and the resultant injuries can be horrendous and are extremely painful. Many thousands of children go to hospital each year as a result of trapping their fingers in this ..ay.

The present invention seeks to provide a safety device which will prevent the above from happening.

According to the present invention there is provided a safety device comprising an elongate member having a first portion which is securable to a door and a second portion which is securable to a door frame, said first portion and said second portion being hingeable relative to each other about a longitudinal substantially medial position.

Preferably, the width of said first portion will be greater than the width of said second portion. Said first portion and said second portion will each carry a hinged extension portion remote from said longitudinal substantially medial position.

Said first and second portions and said extension portions will preferably be formed integrally as a one-piece structure.

In order that the invention may be more readily under¬ stood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a safety device according to the invention; Figure 2 is an end view on Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows the safety device of Figures 1 and 2 in a folded state; Figure 4 shows the safety device of Figures 1 to 3 in a first, door closed position;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the safety device in a second, door open position; and Figure 6 shows an alternative end section of the device of Figure l;and

Figure 7 shows an alternative form of a safety device according to the invention. Referring to the drawings and firstly to Figures 1 to 3, a safety device comprises a one-piece elongate member 2 formed of a synthetic plastics material such as, for example, P.V.C., Nylon (RTM), or other flexible plastics material.

The member 2 includes a first portion 4 and a second portion 6 integrally connected through the intermediary of a section 8 which is of reduced cross-section compared to the portions 4 and 6. The portions 4 and 6 carry extension portions 10 and 12 respectively which are integrally connected to their respective portion through the inter- mediaries of sections 14 and 16 which again are of reduced cross-section compared with the portions 4 and 6. It will however be noted from Figure 2 that the sections 14 and 16 extend from the face of the elongate member 2 in an opposite direction to the section 8, and thus the extension portions 10 and 12 hinge relative to their respective portions in an opposite direction to that in which the portions 4 and 6 hinge relative to each other

Each of the extension portions 10 and 12 carry an adhesive coating 18 and 20 respectively which, prior to the elongate member 2 being located in position relative to a door and a door frame for use, are protected by release paper, not show .

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the overall length of the member 2 will be 1500mm and the overall width of the member will be 163mm. The width of the first portion 4 is greater than the width of the second portion 6, the portion 4 being 55mm wide and the portion 6 being 53mm wide. Each of the extension portions 10 and 12 is 20mm wide, and the overall thickness of the elongate member is 1.5mm, the thickness of the sections 8, 14, and 16 being 0.5mm.

To secure the elongate member 2 in position relative to a door 22 and door frame 24 - Figures 4 and 5 - the release paper is removed from the extension portions 10 and 12 and the latter are attached to the door and door frame respectively by the exposed adhesive.

Figures 4 and 5 show the safety device in operative position in relation to the door 22 and door frame 24. It will be seen that the portion 4 is attached, through its extension portion 10, to the door 22 and that the portion 6 is attached to the door frame 24 through the inter¬ mediary of its extension portion 12. In this arrangement, when the door is closed as shown in Figure 4, the member will lie adjacent to the door frame 24. If the elongate member were inverted, the member would lie adjacent to the door 22. Hence the difference in width between the first and second portions 4 and 6.

With the elongate member in position as shown in Figures 4 and 5, it will be seen that the gap between the door 22 and the door frame 24 is spanned by the device so as to prevent access to said gap. When the door is closed relative to the frame, the gap remains spanned and screened so that a child - or indeed anyone else - is unable to trap his or her fingers in the said gap.

Thus the invention provides an effective, yet relatively inexpensive, means for preventing the trapping of fingers between a door and a door frame.

Instead of the member 2 being of unitary construction as shown in Figure 2, the member may include sections of a semi-rigid plastics material and sections of soft plastics material. Thus, referring to Figure 6, the member 2A has the portions 4A and 6A and extension portions 10A and 12A formed of semi-rigid plastics material (polyvinylchloride) whilst the hinge portions 8A, 14A, and 16A are formed of soft, flexible plastics material (polyvinylchloride), so as to provide the necessary degree of flexibility and hence allow the portions 4A and 6A, and the extension portions 10A and 12A to hinge relative to one another as previously described.

If desired, the material of the hinge positions 8A, 14A, and 16A may be a rubber based polyvinylchloride instead of just polyvinylchloride, so as to increase the flexibility and reduce the tendency to splitting and/or tearing.

Referring now to Figure 7, the safety device comprises an elongate member indicated generally by reference numeral 22 which consists of two identical elongate portions 24 and 26 which are connected together along a longitudinal medial line 28 by means of a fabric hinge 30. The elongate portions 24 and 26 are composed of plastics material.

Because of the presence of the hinge 30, the portions 24 and 26 are capable of relative movement about the medial line 28.

As will be seen, each of the portions 24 and 26 carry along their free longitudinal edges a length of adhesive tape 32 and 34 respectively, such that the member may be secured to a door and a door frame substantially as previously described.

Operation of the device of Figure 7 is substantially the same as previously described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

To ensure that the safety device of Figure 7 lies adjacent to the door or the door frame in the closed position of the door, the width of one of the portions 2 and 26 may be slightly greater than the other.

It will be appreciated that the device according to the invention may also be applied to the side of the door opposite to the hinge. In this case, only one portion wi be attached to the door frame, the other portion remaini free. Such free portion will be contacted by the door up closing so as to prevent access to the space or gap between the door and the door frame. It will also be appreciated that devices according to the invention may fitted to both sides of the door.

It will also be appreciated that the device may be. composed of metal or of alloys such as aluminium, or combinations thereof, with suitable hinge devices therei

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A safety device comprising an elongate member having a first portion which is securable to a door and a second portion which is securable to a door frame, said first portion and said second portion being hingeable relative to each other about a longitudinal substantially medial position.

2. A safety device according to Claim 1, wherein the width of said first portion is greater than the width of said second portion.

3. A safety device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 , wherein said first portion and said second portion each carry a hinged extension portion remote from the said longitudinal substantially medial position.

4. A safety device according to Claim 3, wherein each of said hinged extension portions carry a length of adhesive so as to enable said^' hinged extension portions to be secured to a door and a door frame.

5. A safety device according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein said first and second portions and said hinged extension portions are formed integrally as a one-piece structure.

6. A safety device according to any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein said first and second portions are connected together through the intermediary of an integral hinge portion of said device.

7. A safety device according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein said extension portions are connected to their respective portions through the intermediary of further integral hinge portions of said device.

8. A safety device according to Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein said hinge portions and said further hinge portions are formed by reducing the cross-sectional dimension of said device at the positions of said hinge portions.

9. A safety device according to Claim 1, wherein said safety device comprises two identical elongate portions which are connected together along a longitudinal medial line by means of a fabric hinge.

10. A safety device according to any of Claims 1 to 9, wherein said safety device is composed of semi-rigid plastics material.

11. A safety device according to Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein said hinge portions and said further hinge portions are composed of soft plastics material.

12. A safety device according to Claim 11, wherein said soft plastice material is rubber based.

13. A safety device comprising an elongate member having a first portion which is securable to a door and a second portion which is securable to a door frame, said first portion and said second portion being hingeable relative to each other about a longitudinal substantially medial position, said first and second portions being movable from a first, door closed position in which the said first and second portions are in substantially abutting relationship to a second, door open position in which said first and second portions are in spaced relationship, said first and second portions moving about said longitudinal substantially medial position during movement from said first position to said second position.