Patent ID: 8803689
Filing Date: 2014-08-12
Classification: E05B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for counteracting a suicide attempt of a person trying to hang himself from a cord extended over the top edge of a door and hanging downward where said door is mounted in a door frame in a room, and where said door has a top edge facing upward, a latching edge, an inside surface facing the interior of said room, with an upper portion thereof generally adjacent said top edge, an opposite outside surface, and a latch assembly with a latch bolt extendible outward of said latching edge, and said frame includes a strike plate for cooperation with said latch bolt, said apparatus operable with an electrically activated alarm, comprising: a. an elongated pressure sensor when mounted on said inside surface of said door at said upper portion thereof able to activate said alarm, said sensor having a base part and an opposite exposed outer surface comprising a central portion and opposite side portions, said sensor being mountable with its base part generally parallel to and closely adjacent said inside surface of said door, and with said central portion of said sensor facing inwardly of said room when said door is closed, said exposed outer surface of said sensor: (i) being responsive to force applied thereagainst by a segment of the cord when draped over said top edge of said door and hanging downward adjacent said inside surface and bearing laterally against said exposed outer surface of said sensor, and (ii) being adapted to forward a signal indicating the sensing of said force by said cord, and b. an electrical controller adapted to receive said signal from said sensor indicating that a downward force has been applied by said cord, and in response to receiving said signal to activate said alarm.