Abstract:
A doorstop assembly having a spring action clamping bracket to affix the assembly to a wall baseboard or door is disclosed. The assembly prevents the need to bore holes into either the wall baseboard or the door. The doorstop assembly also accommodates for varying widths of doors or baseboards.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to a corresponding provisional application U.S. Ser. No. 61/075,432 filed Jun. 25, 2008 in the name of the Applicant. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates generally to doorstops, and more specifically to doorstop having a spring action clamping mechanism to affix the doorstop to a wall baseboard or door. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Traditional doorstops typically have a threaded end that is screwed directly into a wall baseboard. Those types of doorstops inevitably damage the wall baseboard when they become loose and strip out of their threaded holes. This often happens when they are kicked or run into by a vacuum cleaner, or from continuous use of stopping the door. Once the doorstop has come out of the wall baseboard, they must be refastened, thus requiring the repair of the damaged, stripped hole and the boring of a new in the wall baseboard. Oftentimes, no one is aware that the doorstop has become separated or misaligned from the wall baseboard. When this happens, a door may slam into the wall, causing severe wall damage from the door knob. 
         [0004]    The present invention is directed to a doorstop assembly having a spring action clamping bracket to affix the doorstop assembly to a wall baseboard or door without having to bore holes into either the wall baseboard or the door. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a doorstop assembly is disclosed. The doorstop assembly comprises a U-shaped bracket and a doorstop coupled to one side of the bracket. 
         [0006]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a doorstop assembly to be coupled to a door is disclosed. The doorstop assembly comprises a flexible U-shaped bracket having a first side that lays flat along a side of the door, a second side that lays flat along an edge of the door, and a third side that lays flat along an opposite side of the door. The doorstop assembly also has a doorstop having a base, a shaft, and a bumper, wherein the base of the doorstop is coupled perpendicularly to the first side of the bracket. 
         [0007]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a doorstop assembly to be coupled between a baseboard and a wall is disclosed. The doorstop assembly comprises a flexible U-shaped bracket having a first side, a second side, and, a third side that lays flat along the wall and behind the baseboard. The doorstop assembly also has a doorstop having a base, a shaft, and a bumper, wherein the base of the doorstop is coupled perpendicularly to the first side of the bracket. 
         [0008]    The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is an elevated perspective view of a bracket of a doorstop of the present invention, shown with a threaded stud. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an elevated perspective view of another embodiment of a bracket of the doorstop of the present invention, shown with a threaded stud. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an elevated perspective view of another embodiment of a bracket of the doorstop of the present invention, shown with a threaded bracket extrusion. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an elevated perspective view of another embodiment of a bracket of the doorstop of the present invention, shown with a threaded bracket extrusion. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an exploded elevated perspective view of the doorstop of the present invention, shown with the bracket of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is an exploded side view of the doorstop of the present invention, shown with the bracket of  FIG. 4  and shown affixed to a wall baseboard. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is an exploded side view of the doorstop of the present invention, shown with the bracket of  FIG. 2  and shown affixed to the bottom edge of a door. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a side view of a doorstop of the present invention, shown with another embodiment of a bracket having a take-up bend, and shown affixed to the bottom edge of a door. The doorstop bumper of the doorstop is shown stopped against the wall baseboard. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a side view of the doorstop of  FIG. 6 . The door is shown stopped against the doorstop bumper. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is an elevated perspective view of the bracket of the doorstop of  FIG. 8 , shown with a take-up bend and a threaded stud. 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is an elevated perspective view of another embodiment of a bracket of the doorstop of the present invention, shown with a take-up bend and a threaded bracket extrusion. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals and symbols represent like elements. 
         [0021]      FIGS. 1-11  together show a doorstop assembly, hereinafter doorstop assembly  10 . The doorstop assembly  10  comprises a bracket  12  and a doorstop  12 . 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , the doorstop assembly  10  has a U-shaped bracket  12 . The bracket  12  may be made of spring steel or other metal, plastic, or some other flexible material. The flexibility of the bracket  12  causes a spring clamping action that allows it to be mounted to a door  38  or to a wall baseboard  40 . There are no screws or studs in the doorstop assembly  10  that would have to penetrate the baseboard  40  or the door  38 . 
         [0023]    Where no baseboard  40  is present, the bracket  12  may be mounted anywhere along the edge  46  of the door  38 . Keeping the doorstop  26  at the outer edge of the door instead of around the hinge area, provides a better mechanical stopping means and will not cause unwanted damage to the hinge and door jam area. Trying to stop the door from the inner most area around the hinges takes much more energy and eventually causes undo wear and damage to the hinge, door jam, and door  38 . Furthermore, a typical doorstop usually cannot be mounted to whatever the door  38  is stopping against; i.e. refrigerator, bathtub, etc. In these instances, the invention can be easily mounted on the edge of the door  38  allowing the door  38  to safely come to rest against the object preventing any damage to the door  38  and/or object. 
         [0024]    The bracket  12  may be U-shaped, having a first side  14 , a second side  20 , and a third side  22 . As shown in the figures, a right angle may be formed where the first side  14  and the second side  20  meet and another right angle may be formed where the second side  20  and the third side  22  meet. Where the doorstop assembly  10  is coupled to a door  38  (see  FIGS. 7 and 8 ), the first side  14  of the bracket  12  lays flat along a side  44  of the door  38 , the second side  20  of the bracket  12  lays flat along an edge  46  of the door  38 , and the third side  22  of the bracket  12  lays flat along the opposite side  44  of the door  38 . Where the doorstop assembly  10  is coupled to a baseboard  40  (see  FIGS. 6 and 9 ), the first side  14  of the bracket  12  contacts the front of the baseboard  40 , the second side  20  of the bracket  12  contacts the top of the baseboard  40 , and the third side  22  of the bracket  12  is inserted in between the wall  36  and the back of the baseboard  40 . 
         [0025]    The first side  14  and/or the third side  22  of the bracket  12  may have a curved end  25 . These curved ends  25  may help to prevent items, such as the clothing from a person walking by or a cleaning cloth used to wipe the baseboard  40  or floor  42 , from being caught on what would otherwise be pointed edges of the sides  14 / 22  of the bracket  12 . The curved ends  25  also provide for easier installation. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 5-9 , the doorstop  26  is coupled perpendicularly to the first side  14  of the bracket  12 . The doorstop  26  has a base  28 , a shaft  32 , and a bumper  34 . The shaft  32  may be made of any suitable solid material or made or a flexible material, such as a spring. And the bumper  34  may be made of a resilient material, such as rubber, to prevent damage to the door  38 . 
         [0027]    The first side  14  of the bracket  12  may have a threaded stud  16  (see  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  5 , and  7 ) that may be screwed into a corresponding threaded hole in the base  28  of the doorstop  26 . Or, the base  28  may have a threaded stud  30  that may be screwed into a corresponding threaded hole  18  in the first side  14  of the bracket  12  (see  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  6 ). Substantial benefit may also be derived from the doorstop  26  being integral to the bracket  12  or from the doorstop  26  being coupled by some other suitable means to the bracket  12 . 
         [0028]    The width of the second side  20  of the bracket  12 , i.e. the distance between the first side  14  of the bracket  12  and the third side  22  of the bracket  12 , may vary. This will help to accommodate for the varying thicknesses of the doors  38  and baseboards  40  that the brackets  12  are coupled to. 
         [0029]    The third side  22  of the bracket  12  may have a pointed end  24  (see  FIGS. 1 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 , and  9 ). Oftentimes, there is drywall, caulking, paint, or another type filler material  48  between the wall  36  and the baseboard  40  (shown in  FIG. 9 ). A pointed end  24  would be beneficial for penetrating this filler material  48  when inserting the third side  22  of the bracket  12  between the wall  36  and the baseboard  40 . 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the first side  14  (see  FIG. 11 ) or the third side  22  (see  FIG. 10 ) of the bracket  12  may be curved inwardly upon itself. The distance between the inside surface of the first side  14  of the bracket  12  and the inwardly curved third side  22  of the bracket  12  (or between the inside surface of the third side  22  of the bracket  12  and the inwardly curved first side  14  of the bracket  12 ) may vary to allow for the varying thickness of the doors  38  that the brackets  12  are coupled to. The first side  14  (or third side  22 ) is curved inwardly in such a manner as to provide a clamp-like action enabling the bracket  12  to fit snugly on doors  38  or baseboards  40 . It should be clearly understood that substantial benefit may also be derived from both the first side  14  and the third side  22  of the bracket  12  being curved inwardly upon them when the bracket  12  is coupled to a door  38 . Where the bracket  12  is coupled to a baseboard  40 , only the first side  14  of the bracket  12  may be curved inwardly upon itself. 
         [0031]    While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.