Abstract:
A cover and method for covering openings an particularly openings initially intended to cover door knob openings and lock set openings of a modified door which are required to be covered for aesthetic and security reasons. In one embodiment, the cover for a door knob hole is an integral stack of disks wherein the largest outermost disk covers the opening when centered by the second disk that fits snugly inside the opening. A bridge fits inside the lock-set cavity to which a cover over the lock cavity is bolted.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a Continuation-In Part of application Ser. No. 11/185,922 filed Jul. 20, 2005, now abandoned claiming priority from provisional application 60/590,409 filed Jul. 21, 2004 titled “APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COVERING OPENINGS. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to devices used to covering openings in doors. 
   BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE 
   Doors and such often have openings provided for locking devices. Such holes left uncovered generally look unfinished. Other locking devices are removed for legal reasons and safety leaving the door unsecured. In some cases a panic exit is installed that allow the door to be secured from outside But openable from the inside. Many times such devices interfere with panic exit devices and other devices associated with the security of the door . . . . Currently devices are used to cover opening s in doors allowing them to be secured from the outside but they often interfere with the operation of the panic devices. Present art apparatus are unsatisfactory because they are through bolted from one side of the hollow object to the other. Currently, through hole fillers cannot be used because the screw/post connecting the inside disk to the outside disk will interfere with the concealed vertical rods inside the door. Thus for appearance and security, one or more holes need to be drilled without interfering internal parts of the door or objects. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 2,422,420 to Judd discloses a cover for a hole in a panel wherein the slotted head of a screw is visible and accessible from the exposed side of the panel. The device I intended to cover a hole in the fuselage of an airplane so that centering the cover over the hole is not a strict requirement. The Judd device does not satisfy the requirements that are satisfied by the present invention. FIGS.  4 A,B and  5  are typical examples of holes for door knobs, lock cylinders etc. that are exposed at the edge of a door  400  that is to be modified when holt  402  and cavity  404  are no longer needed. 
   Lock cavity  404  is bounded by two walls (being opposing door panels of the door) and two interior end surfaces. Doorknob holes  402  were initially used to mount a doorknob. 
   In many construction upgrade operations involving modification of a door, preferably, holes  402  and  404  would be covered for beautification and security purposes. It would be desirable for beautification purpose that neither screw heads (i.e., the slotted heads of screws) nor the head of Phillip head screws) be visible from the viewable side of the door. 
   Therefore, what is needed is a method and apparatus to cover these holes in doors and other items. Further, what is needed is an apparatus and method to quickly and effectively cover existing cylinder, lock face and other unwanted holes/openings in any object made of any material which would benefit in terms of beautification, a more universally usable and versatile in operation than known apparatus of this kind. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for covering so as to shield from view and opening such as a door hole in a door panel of a door of material. E.g., wood, metal, plastic. 
   The apparatus includes a three-stepped disk shaped outer member. A first step is a disk sized to cover the opening. 
   A second disk is formed concentric with and adjacent against the first disk. The second disk is configured to fit in the opening in the panel to be covered. 
   The third step is a disk concentrically formed on the second disk. The third disk is sized to fit in an inner opening of the material such as are found Sometimes in an opening profile for a lock, for example. The third disk has a concentric threaded bore. 
   The apparatus further includes an inner securing plate wherein a side surface of the plate has a dimension than the wall opening to be covered. An aperture is formed through the side of the securing member. 
   The apparatus is sized to accept the bolt, which is screwed into the bore of the third step. The aperture is sized smaller than a head of the bolt so that the wall of the cavity may be captured between the inner securing member and the first step. And secured by tightening the bolt to draw the inner securing member and the first step of the outer member together to clamp on the cavity wall to cover and seal the opening. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     So that the manner in which the above features and objets of the present invention are attained and can be understood in detail, the following drawings are presented. 
       FIG. 1A  is an exploded perspective view of the disk cover. 
       FIG. 1B  show a securing member for the disk hole cover of  FIG. 1A . 
       FIG. 2  shows two disk hole covers covering openings in the door. 
       FIG. 3  is an elevation view of the disk hole cover of  FIG. 1 . 
     FIGS.  4 A,B shows steps of the method for securing a disk hole cover over a hole. 
       FIG. 5  shows the final step in securing the disk hole cover over a hole. 
       FIG. 6  shows a rubber disk with an adhesive surface for use as a wrench. 
       FIG. 7  shows the wrench of  FIG. 6  attached to a disk device. 
       FIG. 8  shows an alternative method for screwing two disk covers together. 
       FIG. 9  shows a square bolthole head and square opening in the closure member. 
       FIGS. 10  A, B, C, D show a bridge for supporting a lock cavity cover. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Turning to a description of the drawings,  FIG. 1A  is an exploded perspective view of a disk hole cover  100  of this invention configured to cover a door knob opening  402  communicating with a lock cavity  400  as shown in FIGS.  4 A,B and  FIG. 5 . 
   Doors with such holes are made of aluminum, wood, metal, glass, composite material and the like. 
     FIG. 1A  shows one configuration in which the disk hole cover  100  has a three-step structure of three stacked disks, arranged concentrically. There are shown a (largest outer disk  102 , a smaller (intermediate) disk  108  and the smallest (end) disk  112 . 
   The second (intermediate) disk  108  is sized to fit snugly into the door knob opening  402  thereby centering the disk stack (disk hole cover  100 ) over the for knob opening  402 . 
   A blind threaded hole  115  passes entirely through the center of the end disk  112  and second disk  108  and partly through outer disk  102 . 
   A closure member  110  is a plate that is positionable inside lock cavity against the inside surface of cavity wall  404 A where it spans across the doorknob opening  402 . 
   A bolt being a threaded stem with a bolt head, is sized for insertion through an aperture  114  centrally located in closure member  110  and screwing one end of the threaded stem into hole  115  of disk steps  108  and  112 . The cavity wall is thereby captured between closure member  110  and disk hole cover  100  and secured by tightening bolt  120 . The closure member  110  and bolt head formed on another end of the threaded stem is therefore a means for securing another end of said threaded stem in said bolt hole. 
   Closure member  110  may be formed generally rectangular in shape (as illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B ). 
     FIG. 1B  is a bottom perspective view of closure member  110  of  FIG. 1A . Closure member  110  has cavity  113  sized to accept element  112 . 
   Once the disk hole cover  100  is positioned over the exterior of the door  400  so as to cover a door knob opening and then attached to the closure member  110  with bolt  120 , the door knob opening  402  will no longer be exposed or accessible from outside the door  400 , thereby beautifying, covering and securing the door. 
     FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one embodiment of two or more disk hole covers  100  configured to cover door hole openings in accordance with embodiments of the invention. 
     FIG. 3  is front elevation view of disk hole cover  100  configure to cover openings in accordance with embodiments of the invention. In one embodiment, the edge  302  of door hole cover  402  is tapered to merge with an outer surface of a door  400 . 
     FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of a first step of installation of disk hole cover  100  to cover a door knob opening  402  according to the invention. As shown in  FIG. 4A  in the initial step, the disk hole cover  100  is poised for partial insertion through door knob opening  402  such that the outer disk  102  (first step) of disk hole cover  100  remains outside cavity  404 . 
     FIG. 4B  is a perspective view illustrating a second step of installation to cover door knob opening  402 . The disk hole cover  100  is inserted partially 
   Through door knob hole  402  so that the outer disk  102  (the first step) of the disk hole cover  100  remains outside the cavity  404  with closure member  110  hooked interiorly onto the wall  404 A of cavity  404 . 
     FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating a final step of installing disk hole cover  100  on a door  400  to cover the door knob hole  402 . 
   The wall  404 A of lock cavity  404  is captured between closure member  110  and the first disk step  102  of disk cover  100  and secured by the bolt  120 . The shank of bolt  120  passes through the closure member  110  and screwed into disk hole cover  100 . 
   In operation the outer disk member  02  is sized with a diameter larger than the door knob opening  402  in the wall  303 A of the lock cavity  404  and when clamped on door  400  of the wall  404 A, the closure member  110  and outer disk member  102  cover and secure door knob opening  402  A opposite door knob opening  402 B is concealed in  FIG. 5 . 
     FIG. 6  is an alternative to the step illustrated in  FIG. 5 . showing the final step of applying a wrench from outside the step cavity to turn bolt  120 / 
     FIG. 6  shows a “wrench” comprising rubber disk  502  typically ½ inch thick and having a diameter equal to the diameter of outer disk  102 . A flat surface  504  of the rubber disk is coated with adhesive. 
   To screw the disk hole cover  100  onto bolt  120  positioned inside the lock cavity  400 . as shown in  FIG. 5 , the adhesive side  504  of the rubber disk  500  is pressed against the outside surface of disk hole cover  100  and rotated. 
   To prevent bolt  120  from turning while screwing into threaded hole  115 , the user&#39;s finger is inserted inside the cavity hole and pressed against the head of bolt  120 . After bolt  120  and disk member  102  are screwed together, the user peels rubber disk  500  off disk hole cover  100 . 
     FIG. 9  shows an alternative to prevent bolt  120  turning in which cavity  113  in closure member  110  is square to accept the head of bolt  120 . 
   The adhesive surface  504  of the rubber disk  502  is covered by a paper-thin material as well known in the art of adhesives when the “rubber wrench” is not in use. 
     FIG. 7  shows another embodiment for the situation where a doorknob opening  402  extends all of the way through the door  400 . 
   For this situation, a threaded stem  406  has one end screwed into one disk hole cover  100  and is inserted entirely through the door knob opening with the one disk hole openings. 
   A second disk hole cover  1000  having its exposed surface attached to the rubber wrench of this invention is screwed onto the extended end of the threaded stem  406  so as to draw the two disk cover together and cover both door knob holes. The second disk cover  110 B, having its exposed surface attached to the rubber wrench of this invention, and screwed onto the extended of the threaded stem, is therefore “a means for securing another end of said threaded stem in said bolt hole”. 
   The adhesive surface  504  of the rubber disk  502  is covered by a paper-thin material as well known in the art of adhesives when the “rubber wrench” is not in use. 
     FIG. 7  shows another embodiment for the situation where a doorknob opening  402  extends all of the way through the door  400 . 
   For this situation, a threaded stem  406  has one end screwed into one disk hole cover  100  and is inserted entirely through the door knob opening with the one disk hole openings. 
   A second disk hole cover  1000  having its exposed surface attached to the rubber wrench of this invention is screwed onto the extended end of the threaded stem  406  so as to draw the two disk cover together and cover both door knob holes. 
     FIG. 8  shows (in place of “rubber wrench” of  FIG. 7 ) a wrench  510  of this, invention which is used to secure two disk hole covers  100 A and  100 C inserted in opposite ends of door knob through opening  402  extending between opposite sides of door  400 . 
   Wrench  510  comprises a pair of studs  511  extending from a handle section  512 . In use the studs  511  are inserted into two small holes  51113  in the exposed surface of one of the disk hole covers  100  and the disk hole cover  100 C is rotated in order to screw the threaded stem into both disk hole covers  100  A,C. 
     FIGS. 4A   4 B and  5  show a common situation where a lock cavity  404  is positioned between the opposing door openings,  400  A, B. 
   After the disk hole covers  100  of this invention are installed (as described above) 
   There remains a lock cavity  404  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     FIG. 4  shows an edge surface of a door  400  with an exposed lock cavity  404 .  FIG. 2  shows a desired completed job including an attractive cover panel  526  that completely covers the lock cavity  402  and is continuos (coplanar) with the outside surface of the edge of the door. 
   In practice cover panel formed a part of the lock mechanism that was initially inserted into the lock cavity. However the lock mechanism has been removed according to the later reconstruction plan. 
     FIGS. 10A , B, C show a feature of the invention being a bridge  520 , a pair of which, positioned between cavity walls  404 A,B support a cover panel  526 . that conceals lock cavity  404  as shown in  FIG. 10B . 
   Bridge  520  comprises a pair of legs  524  supporting a bridge panel  522 . Bridge  520  is bolted the cavity floor through screw holes  523  in support of panel  522 . 
   by a connecting surface  537  of the channel  530 . Channel shoulder  534  is separated from channel shoulder  536  by a distance equal to the width of the lock cavity cover  526 . 
   As shown by the sectional view  10 D, Channel  530  has a depth such that when the bridge  520 A is positioned in the lock cavity  404 , with bridge feet  524  supported on a bottoming surface  535  of the lock cavity. Each channel shoulder  539  is positioned against a cavity shoulder  538  of lock cavity  404  and the lock cavity cover  526  is supported on the connecting surface  537  with an exposed surface  540  of the lock cavity cover coplanar with an exposed surface  529  of the edge of the door and with the legs  524  extending between the bridge panel  535  and the bottom surface of the lock cavity  404 . 
   It will be understood that, in the context of this specification, cavity holes and door knob hole are representative of several situations that are encountered in practice. Thus one example where the “spirit and interpretation” of this invention apply is to the well known wooden door common to residences. 
   with the free end of each leg  424  supported against a bottom surface of the lock cavity  404 . A cover panel  526  is laid against the lock cavity  404 . 
   A cover panel  526  is laid against the lock cavity lid  404 . Each end of the cover panel is supported by a bridge panel  522 . A respective one of the bridges  520  A screw is inserted through a respective hole  5268  in the cover plate and screwed into the bridge. The exposed surface of the cover plate is flush with the surface of the door  400  giving a “finished” appearance to what was formerly an open cavity. 
     FIG. 10C  illustrates an embodiment of the bridge when width of the opening to the lock cavity  404  is smaller than a separation of the walls  404 A and  404 B of the lock cavity whereby an internal shoulder  537  along the edge of the lock cavity is formed. 
   The lock hole cover  526  has a width equal to the separation between the internal shoulders  527 . 
   A channel  530  is formed in the support surface  532  of the bridge  520 A with one channel shoulder  534  and opposite channel shoulder  536  separated Similarly, such openings to be covered are found in commercial buildings where doors are typically glass framed in square metal tubes referred to as “styles” in the trade. 
   In another situation to which the teachings of using a disk hole cover of this invention apply, is where the round hole is a keyed lock cylinder of thumbturn device used to lock/unlock a mortise lock. 
   Variations and modifications to meet these contingencies may be contemplated after reading the specification and studying the drawings which are within the scope of the invention. We therefore wish to define the scope of the invention by the appended claims.