Abstract:
A resilient door knob bumper receives a door knob in an aperture, the deformation of the resilient bumper retaining the door knob in position in the aperture.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application claims priority based on Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/065,733 filed Nov. 14, 1997 and Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/094,700, filed Jul. 30, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a door knob bumper and retainer which is designed to prevent the door knob of a door from damaging the wall and to retain the door knob so that the door is held open. The door knob bumper and retainer of this invention functions without any mechanical parts, is simple to install and is reliable to maintain a door in an open condition and protect the wall. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Almost all doors which swing on hinges have door knobs of one type or another. The door knob may be of a cylindrical nature, it may be of an elongated nature, but in any event, all door knobs function similarly in that they are used by turning to open doors. Unfortunately, when the doors open, the door knobs frequently meet a wall adjacent the door opening and this meeting can cause damage to the wall. Furthermore, doors have a tendency to swing shut as a result of the location of hinges, air movements and the like all of which can be very frustrating. It is an object of this invention to provide a door knob bumper and retainer which both retains the door knob, so that the door is held open, and at the same time protects the wall from damage from the door knob. When the words door knob are used in this provisional application, it is intended that those words cover door knobs of cylindrical shape as well as elongated door handles and the like. Mechanical door knob catches are known in the art and have been used to retain doors in an open condition. 
     Mechanical door knob retainers generally include a unit which will hook the door knob in some fashion after being activated by the door knob striking the unit. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,984 to Huang issued Aug. 28, 1990 is designed to retain a door knob and uses an elastic hook member. Another reference which discloses a door knob retainer is U.S. Pat. No. 1,085,027 issued to Downey on Jan. 20, 1914 which puts a door check on the opposite side of the door from the door knob and includes a cam arrangement on a piston which absorbs the energy of a slamming door pneumatically. Neither of these references disclose an invention in any way similar to that of applicant&#39;s door knob bumper and retainer way simi 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Provided herewith is a drawing prepared by the inventor which includes: 
     FIG. 1 which is an elevational view of the door knob bumper and retainer of this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the door knob bumper shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the door knob bumper shown in FIG. 1 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the door knob bumper shown in FIG. 1 showing the inner retainer section; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing how a door knob is gripped in the door knob bumper and retainer of this invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the interior of the preferred embodiment of a door knob bumper and retainer of this invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of the preferred door knob bumper and retainer of this invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the preferred door knob bumper of this invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of the rear plate of the door knob bumper of this invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the invention in its operative position; 
     FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the invention in its operative position; 
     FIG. 12 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the invention in its operative position; 
     FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of the interior of a slightly alternate door knob bumper and retainer of this invention; and 
     FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the alternate door knob bumper and retainer of this invention of FIG.  13 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring specifically to FIGS. 1 through 5, the door knob retainer  10  has a body portion  12  affixed to a base  14 . On the bottom of the base  14  are preferably adhesive fasteners  16 . The exterior body  10  has a curved symmetrical surface  18 . 
     Body  12  comprises a resilient elastomeric material which may be a flexible urethane foam or any other foam material which is flexible in nature made by suitable processes so long as the resilient foam material can be used. Foam rubber is another example of this type of material. In the prototype shown in the drawings, a top segment  20  is bonded to a lower segment  22 . This enables some level of ease in manufacturing the recess  24  which will be described in more detail. It should be understood, however, that the unit can be molded in one piece. Recess  24  has a beveled entry wall, a fluted resilient portion  28 , a beveled gripper wall  30  which leads to a retaining chamber  32 . Elements  26 ,  28  and  30  are formed in the top segment  20 . Chamber  32  has a cylindrical wall  34  which merges into a clearance beveled wall  36  and vents into a cylindrical enlarge clearance wall  38 . In operation, fasteners  16  are affixed to wall  40 . 
     Clearance wall  38  enables the retrofitting of the bumper  10  on a wall  40  that already has a standard door knob bumper  42  in place. In operation, door knob  44  affixed to door  46  passes through chamber  24  extending wall  28  to grip knob  44 , thereby preventing door  46  from accidental closure. Bevel walls  26 - 30  ease passage of knob  44  into and out of retainer  10 . The contact of retainer  10  with door  44  provides an auxiliary bumper function as well as to protect the wall. 
     The door bumper of FIGS. 1-5 captures the door knob in chamber  32  after the knob passes wall  30 . The embodiment in FIGS. 6-9 uses the resiliency of the body itself to capture the knob, the first version is retrofittable over an existing bumper. The second version is more compact and more economical to form. While the second embodiment and first embodiment are adapted to use of a plate  50  on base  14 , a sufficiently rigid coating could be formed directly on the base, which would provide economies and greater all around resiliency, particularly when used with an appropriate adhesive coating. 
     As shown in FIGS. 6,  7 ,  8 , and  9 , the door knob bumper and retainer of this invention is preferably molded in one piece such as shown in FIGS. 6,  7 ,  13  and  14 . The two pieces of the original embodiment (FIGS. 1-5) would use easier to make tooling than a one piece version that also has the multiple diameter section of the chamber  32  of that first embodiment. In the preferred one piece embodiment, the operation of the bumper is substantially the same. 
     In the version in FIGS. 6-7, the knob would be retained in the opening  52  formed in the bumper body  54 . A bottom wall  56  protects the wall on which the bumper is mounted. In the structure shown in FIG. 8, there is no provision for retrofitting over a previously installed door bumper as in the first embodiment. The function of the preexisting bumper is performed by wall  56 . Opening  52  has a continuous gripper wall, generally  60 , which includes both curved segments  62  and grooved portions  64  where the segments  62  merge with one another. The base  66  rear plate of the invention is either directly attached to the wall by adhesives or is attached to plate  50 , which is itself attached to the wall, or a combination, as by mechanical fastening of the plate  50  and adhesive fastening of the base  66  to the plate  50 . This latter may be more useful in situations where the wall finish is not suitable to adhesive fastening, such as certain laminations, paints or wallpaper. 
     An alternative embodiment in FIGS. 10-12 discloses a door bumper adapted to receive handle-type door latch actuators. Unlike knobs, which are symmetric or substantially symmetric because of their generally circular configurations, handles extend along an axis. Thus, the bumper  112  is slotted to permit retention of a handle. More particularly, a backing plate  114  may be used that supports bumper  112  having an upper lobe  116  and a lower lobe  118  defining a slot  120  therebetween. Upper end  122  and lower end  124  contact the door, while slot saddle portion  126  can absorb contact from the handle. 
     FIG.  13  and FIG. 14 show the most preferred configuration of the one piece embodiment. These show deeper flutes than the segments  62  and grooved portions  64  of FIGS. 6-7. In these views wall segments  162  join crenellated groove portions l 64 . It will be observed that this provides deeper grooving than the FIGS. 6-7 embodiment owing to the greater curvature of wall segments  162  and separation provided by crenellated groove portions  164 . In section, curved wall segments  162  are nearly semicircular, extending about 130 degrees while the gentle curve of segments  62  extends over only about  30  degrees. While 130 degrees is shown, a substantial curvature, up to slightly less than 180 degrees could be used. 
     It is believed that this application completely discloses applicant&#39;s invention in a door knob bumper and retainer such that one skilled in the art could readily manufacture such an item and make reasonable adjustments in the structure to accommodate different size door knobs.