Abstract
A safety guard for door gaps preferably includes a telescoping tube cover, a compression spring, a top bushing, a top hinge tube and a bottom pin bushing. The telescoping tube cover includes a first tube and a second tube. The compression spring is inserted into first tube and the second tube is inserted into the first tube. The top bushing is inserted into a top of the second tube. The second bottom bushing is inserted into a bottom of the first tube. A second embodiment of the safety guard includes the telescoping tube cover, the top bushing, the top hinge tube, the bottom pin bushing and a fastener. A third embodiment of the door safety guard preferably includes a safety tube, a top pin bushing, the bottom pin bushing and an extra length hinge pin.
Claims
1. A safety guard for door gaps, comprising: a telescoping tube cover includes a first tube and a second tube, said first tube is sized to receive said second tube; a compression spring is retained in said first tube, said compression spring biases a top of said second tube away from a bottom of said first tube; a top hinge tube includes an inner diameter which is sized to receive a bottom end of a hinge pin enclosure of a top hinge; a top bushing is retained in a top of said second tube, said top bushing includes a pin bore to receive said top hinge tube; and a bottom pin bushing is retained in a bottom of said first tube, said bottom pin bushing includes an inner diameter which is sized to receive a head of a hinge pin of a bottom hinge.
2. The safety guard for door gaps of claim 1 wherein: said top bushing includes a top flange extending outward from an outer perimeter at a top thereof.
3. The safety guard for door gaps of claim 1 wherein: said bottom bushing includes a bottom flange extending outward from an outer perimeter at a bottom thereof.
4. The safety guard for door gaps of claim 1 wherein: a plate slit is formed in an end of said top hinge tube to receive a thickness of a hinge plate of said top hinge.
5. A safety guard for door gaps, comprising: a telescoping tube cover includes a first tube and a second tube, said first tube is sized to receive said second tube; a top hinge tube includes an inner diameter which is sized to receive a bottom end of a hinge pin enclosure of a top hinge; a top bushing is retained in a top of said second tube, said top bushing includes a pin bore to receive said top hinge tube; a bottom pin bushing is retained in a bottom of said first tube, said bottom pin bushing includes an inner diameter which is sized to receive a head of a hinge pin of a bottom hinge; and a fastener for insertion through said first and second tubes, wherein said top bushing is in contact with a top hinge, said bottom bushing is in contact with a bottom hinge, said fastener is then inserted through said first and second tubes.
6. The safety guard for door gaps of claim 5 wherein: said top bushing includes a top flange extending outward from an outer perimeter at a top thereof.
7. The safety guard for door gaps of claim 5 wherein: said bottom bushing includes a bottom flange extending outward from an outer perimeter at a bottom thereof.
8. The safety guard for door gaps of claim 5 wherein: a plate slit is formed in an end of said top hinge tube to receive a thickness of a hinge plate of said top hinge.
9. A safety guard for door gaps, comprising: a safety tube which includes a length that is the same as a distance between a bottom of top hinge plates of a top hinge and a top of bottom hinge plates of a bottom hinge; an extended length hinge pin, wherein a hinge pin of the top hinge is removed and replaced with said extended length hinge pin, said extended length hinge pin extends past a bottom of the top hinge plates of the top hinge; a top bushing is retained in a top of said safety tube, said top bushing includes a pin bore to receive said extended length hinge pin; and a bottom pin bushing is retained in a bottom of said safety tube, said bottom pin bushing includes an inner diameter which is sized to receive a head of a hinge pin of the bottom hinge.
10. The safety guard for door gaps of claim 9 wherein: said top bushing includes a top flange extending outward from an outer perimeter at a top thereof.
11. The safety guard for door gaps of claim 9 wherein: said bottom bushing includes a bottom flange extending outward from an outer perimeter at a bottom thereof.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a door safety guard installed between top and bottom hinges of a door in accordance with the present invention.
(2) FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of a door safety guard in accordance with the present invention.
(3) FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a top hinge tube of a door safety guard in accordance with the present invention.
(4) FIG. 3a is an enlarged cross sectional view of a top hinge tube cut through FIG. 1 and retained on a hinge pin enclosure and the top hinge tube retained in a second tube of a door safety guard in accordance with the present invention.
(5) FIG. 4 is a partial exploded perspective view of a top hinge tube before attachment to a hinge pin enclosure of a hinge of a door of a door safety guard in accordance with the present invention.
(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a top hinge tube secured to a hinge pin enclosure of a door safety guard in accordance with the present invention.
(7) FIG. 6 is a partially exploded perspective view of a telescoping door cover and an anchoring screw of a second embodiment of a door safety guard in accordance with the present invention.
(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a telescoping door cover with an anchoring screw engaged therewith of a second embodiment of a door safety guard in accordance with the present invention.
(9) FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of a door safety guard in accordance with the present invention.
(10) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an extra length hinge pin inserted into a top hinge of a third embodiment of a telescoping door cover in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
(11) With reference now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, a door safety guard 1, 2, 3 is installed between a top hinge 104 and a bottom hinge 106, which are retained between a door 100 and a wall 102. With reference to FIG. 2, the door safety guard 1 preferably includes a telescoping tube cover 10, a compression spring 12, a top bushing 14, a top hinge tube 16 and a bottom pin bushing 18. The telescoping tube cover 10 includes a first tube 20 and a second tube 22. An inner perimeter of the first tube 20 is sized to receive an outer perimeter of the second tube 22. The bottom pin bushing 18 is preferably retained in a bottom of the first tube 22 with a bonding agent, a press fit, sonic welding or any suitable retention method. However, the bottom pin bushing 18 may also have a slip fit with any inner perimeter of the first tube 20. A head bore 24 formed through the bottom pin bushing 18 is sized to receive a head of a hinge pin in the bottom hinge 106. The bottom pin bushing 18 preferably includes a flange 26 extending outward from a bottom of an outer perimeter of the pin bushing 18. The compression spring 12 is inserted into a bottom of the first tube 20 and the second tube 22 is inserted into a top of the first tube 20. The bottom pin bushing 18 is then secured in the bottom of the first tube 20. The top bushing 14 is inserted into an inner perimeter of the second tube 22.
(12) With reference to FIGS. 3-5, the top hinge tube 16 includes a plate slit 28. The top hinge tube 16 also includes an inner diameter 30, which is sized to receive a top hinge pin enclosure 108 of the top hinge 104. The top hinge tube 16 is slipped over a bottom of the top hinge pin enclosure 108 in the top hinge 104. The top hinge tube 16 inner diameter is sized to receive the outer diameter of the hinge pin enclosure 108, upon which it is affixed. Further, a wall thickness of the top hinge tube 16 is sized to not interfere with the rotating parts of the top hinge 104. The plate slit 28 is sized to receive a thickness of a hinge plate 110. The bottom bore 24 of the bottom bushing 18 is pushed over a head of a hinge pin of the bottom hinge 106. The top bushing 14 preferably includes a tube bore 32 and a top flange 34. The tube bore 32 is sized to receive the top hinge tube 16. The top flange 34 extends outward from a top of an outer perimeter of the top bushing 14. The top bushing 14 is inserted into a top of the second tube 22. The second tube 22 is pushed down into the first tube 20, such that a bottom of the top hinge tube 16 may be inserted into the top bore 32 in the top bushing 14. The compression spring 12 forces the telescoping tube cover 10 to expand against the top and bottom hinges 104, 106 to protect the door gap from crushing fingers and the like.
(13) A second embodiment of the door safety guard 2 includes the telescoping tube cover 10, the top bushing 14 and the bottom pin bushing 18. The bottom pin bushing 18 is inserted into the bottom of the first tube 20. The top bushing 14 is inserted into a top of the second tube 22. The top hinge tube 16 is slipped over a bottom of the top hinge pin enclosure 108 in the top hinge 104. The bottom bore 24 of the bottom bushing 18 is pushed over the head of the hinge pin of the bottom hinge 106. The second tube 22 is extended such that a bottom of the top hinge tube 16 is inserted into the top bore 34 in the top bushing 14. With reference to FIGS. 5-6, a fastener 36 or the like is inserted through the first and second tubes 20, 22 to prevent axial movement there between, instead of using the compression spring 12.
(14) With reference to FIGS. 8-9, a third embodiment of the safety guard 3 preferably includes a safety tube 38, the top pin bushing 40, the bottom pin bushing 18 and an extra length hinge pin 42. The top pin bushing 40 includes a pin bore 44. The top pin bushing 44 is inserted into a top of the safety tube 38 and the bottom pin bushing 18 is inserted into a bottom of the safety tube 38. The safety tube 38 is cut to a length, which is the same as a measurement between a top of the bottom hinge 106 and a bottom of the top hinge 104, minus a thickness of the bushing flanges 18, 40. The bottom pin bushing 18 is then inserted into a bottom of the safety tube 38 and the top pin bushing 44 is inserted into a top of the safety tube 38. A normal hinge pin is removed from the top hinge 104 and the extra length hinge pin 42 is inserted into the top hinge 106, while an axis of the safety tube 38 is aligned with the hinge pins of the top and bottom hinges 104, 106. The third embodiment of the door safety guard 3 is now retained in place.
(15) FIG. 2 depicts the common scenario of a protruding hinge pin head being present on the top-side of the lower hinge, but no protruding hinge pin head being present on the bottom-side of the upper hinge. However, on some door systems, the upper hinge bottom-side might have a protruding hinge pin head, and the lower hinge top-side might not, thus inverting the FIG. 2 embodiment as described. The same outcome is achieved. Or, perhaps neither hinge has a protruding hinge pin head, requiring two “hinge tube” adaptors (instead of one), one “hinge tube” adaptor for attaching to the bottom of the hinge pin enclosure of the top hinge, and another “hinge tube” adaptor for attaching to the top of the hinge pin enclosure of the lower hinge. The same outcome is achieved. All combinations of hinge pin head scenarios are intended to be generally handled by the FIG. 2 embodiment as described.
(16) While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
