Door brace

A door brace to prevent the opening of a door into a room or other area by an intruder includes an elongated tube that is terminated at each end by a door mounting flange and a floor mounting flange. The door mounting flange is configured to be slideably received within a bracket that is mounted to the door. The floor mounting flange includes an aperture for receiving a pin therethrough that is also received within an aperture that has been bored into the surface of the floor. Thus, when the door brace is mounted between the door and floor, the strength of the door is increased, thus preventing the door from being opened by the use of a large entry force applied to the door by an intruder seeking entry into the room or area.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Generally, the present invention relates to door security devices to secure a door in a closed position. In particular, the present invention relates to a door brace for a door that is easily attached to and removed from a door. More particularly, the present invention relates to a door brace that is removably attached to a door at one end and removably attached to a floor surface at another end, so as to prevent the opening of a door.

BACKGROUND ART

Typically, to secure a door in a closed position to prevent unauthorized entry by an intruder, various locking devices have been developed. For example, deadbolt locking devices have been used to secure an edge of the door to a door frame. However, such deadbolt locking mechanisms provide minimal support for the door itself. That is, because the central portion of the door is left unsupported by the deadbolt locking mechanism, the door is susceptible to being breached by an intruder if the door is subjected to a large entry force.

While other types of door bracing devices have been developed to secure a door, such as door chains and door stops, such devices generally provide a limited amount of protection. For example, door chains, which attach between the door and the door frame, are generally not strong enough to withstand significant entry forces applied to the door. In addition, such door chains do not provide any support to the door itself, thus making the door susceptible to being breached or opened by an intruder if the door is subjected to a large entry force. Moreover, once the door is partially opened, the door chain can be easily severed or cut. In addition, door stops, which prevent a door from moving, do not provide any support to the central portion of the door, again making the door vulnerable to being breached or opened by an intruder if subjected to a substantial entry force.

Therefore, there is a need for a door brace that prevents a door from being breached or opened by an intruder. Furthermore, there is a need for a door brace that increases the support of a door, thereby enhancing the ability of the door to withstand large entry forces that are applied thereto by an intruder. In addition, there is a need for a door brace that prevents the door from being breached or opened, which is removably attached to the door and a floor surface in a quick and user-friendly manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the foregoing, it is a first aspect of the present invention to provide a door brace for a door pivotably carried by one or more hinges, the door brace comprising a bracket adapted to be mounted to a surface of the door; an elongated tube terminated at a first end and a second end; a door flange attached at the first end of said tube, wherein the door flange is configured to be slideably received and retained within the bracket; and a floor flange attached at the second end of the tube, the floor flange having a flange aperture disposed therethrough, the floor flange configured to be positioned adjacent to a floor surface having a floor aperture disposed therein, whereupon a retention pin is disposed through the flange aperture and the floor aperture, wherein when the door brace is mounted between the door and the floor, the door is prevented from being opened into an area secured by the door.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a method of bracing a door comprising providing an elongated tube terminated at each end by a door flange and a floor flange; mounting a bracket on a surface of a door; sliding said door flange into said bracket, such that said bracket is removably retained therein; and placing a pin through an aperture disposed in said floor flange and an aperture disposed in a floor surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A door brace in accordance with the concepts of the present invention is generally referred to by the numeral10, as shown inFIG. 1of the drawings. Generally, the door brace10is configured for use with a door20, which is pivotably attached within a door frame24by one or more hinges30, so as to provide selective access to an enclosed area40, such as a room. That is, the door20is pivotably attached to the door fame24via the hinges30or any other pivoting device, which allows the door20to be opened and closed. Due to the position of the hinges30, as shown inFIG. 1, the door30may be opened into the area40, as designated by arrow ‘A’ in the Figs., but cannot be opened in the opposite direction. The door20includes an inner surface60and opposed outer surface70that is bounded by upper and lower edges72,74and lateral edges76,78. As such, the inner surface60of the door20is positioned within the door frame24so that it is proximate to the area40into which the door20opens, while the hinges30are attached to the lateral edge78of the door20. Disposed through the inner and outer surfaces60,70of the door20is a knob90, which allows the selective latching and unlatching of the door20within the door frame24. It should be appreciated that the latching mechanism (not shown) serves to selectively secure and retain the door20within the door frame24.

Continuing toFIGS. 2-4, the door brace10includes an elongated tube100, which may be formed of any suitable material, including metals such as steel, aluminum, or magnesium for example. In addition, while the tube100is shown as having a substantially square cross-sectional shape, the tube100may take one any other cross-sectional shape, such as a curvilinear or rectilinear shape or any combination thereof for example. It should also be appreciated that the tube100may comprise a hollow or solid cross-section. The elongated tube100is terminated at a door end110and at a floor end120, with ends110,120being tapered or beveled at any suitable angle, such as an angle of about 45 degrees for example. To facilitate the transport of the door brace10, a handle130is attached to the tube100using any suitable means of fixation, such as welding, bolts, or adhesive for example.

Attached to the door end110of the tube100is a door mounting flange150, while a floor mounting flange160is attached to the floor end120of the tube100. It should be appreciated that the flanges150and160may be formed of any suitable material, including metals such as steel, aluminum, or magnesium for example. Furthermore, the flanges150and160may be attached to the tube100using any suitable means of fixation, such as welding or rivets for example. Specifically, the door flange150comprises a substantially planar section having an inner surface180and an opposed outer surface182that is bounded by opposed upper and lower edges184and186and opposed lateral edges188and190. The floor flange160also comprises a substantially planar section having an inner surface194and an opposed outer surface196. A flange aperture200, as shown clearly inFIG. 2, is disposed through the floor flange160at a point that is distal to the door flange150. In one aspect, the flange aperture200is located so that it is in the same plane as the tube100. It should also be appreciated that the end110of the tube100is centrally attached to the inner surface180of the door flange150at an approximately 45 degree angle. In addition, the floor end120of the tube100is attached to the inner surface194of the floor flange160at an approximately 45 degree angle.

In order to removably retain the door brace10to the door20, a retention bracket210is provided to slideably receive the door flange150therein, as shown inFIGS. 5A-B. Specifically, the bracket210comprises a planar base section220having a plurality of mounting holes224disposed therethrough. The base section220is attached to a spaced retention section230by a wall232, thereby forming a gap240therebetween. The retention section230defines a receiving aperture250that opens into a receiving slot260, whereby the receiving slot260is bounded by spaced, substantially parallel upper and lower retention sections270A and270B. In addition, the retention section230also includes a lateral retention section270C that extends between the upper and lower retention sections270A-B at a substantially right angle and is positioned substantially opposite to the receiving aperture250. As such, the receiving slot260is defined to have a substantially rectangular shape; however, the receiving slot260may be configured to have any other suitable shape. Moreover, the retention sections270A and270B that overlap the spaced base section220form upper and lower retention channels280A and280B, while the lateral retention section270C overlapping the base section220forms a lateral retention channel280C that is disposed opposite to the receiving aperture250. Thus, the gap240is dimensioned to allow the thickness of the door flange150to be slideably received therein, while the receiving aperture250and receiving slot260are dimensioned to slideably receive the dimension of the tube100therein. As such, once the tube100is received within the receiving slot260, the retention sections270A-C serve to retain the door flange150within the retention channels180A-C of the bracket210, thereby preventing the door flange150from being pulled out of the bracket210. As such, the door brace10can be detached or released from the bracket210only by laterally sliding the door flange150back out of the receiving slot260and receiving aperture250. Furthermore, while the door and floor flanges150,160are shown in the Figs. as substantially square sections, any other suitable shape, such as a rectilinear shape, curvilinear shape, or a combination of both may be used as long as the door flange150is capable of being slideably received and retained within the bracket210.

In order to secure the floor flange160of the door brace10to a floor surface300, as shown clearly inFIG. 12, a mounting aperture310is disposed in the floor surface300. Lining the mounting aperture310is a cylindrical sleeve320having a sleeve aperture330disposed therethrough, as shown inFIGS. 6, 8, and 12. The sleeve320may be formed from any suitable material, such as steel, aluminum, or magnesium for example. The sleeve aperture330is dimensioned to removably receive a pin350, as shown inFIGS. 7, 8, and12, or any other elongated member capable of being removably carried within the sleeve aperture330. The pin350is formed of any suitable material, such as metal including steel, aluminum, or magnesium for example. It should also be appreciated that the pin350may include a raised or elevated head351to facilitate the insertion and removal of the pin350. In addition, the head351may include a grasping loop or other device that is attached to the head or top of the pin to facilitate the removal of the pin350out of the sleeve aperture330.

To place the door brace10into use, the bracket210is initially attached to the inner surface60of the door20using fasteners380, such as bolts, that are threadably retained by a nut381or other fastening device that is disposed proximate to the inner surface60of the door20, as shown inFIG. 11. In one aspect, the fasteners380may be positioned so that the nut is disposed proximate to the inner surface60of the door20. This prevents an intruder from attempting to enter the door20by easily releasing the fasteners380. Moreover, the head of the fastener380may be formed to have a proprietary shape or configuration that requires specialized tooling to hold and unfasten the fastener380, thus preventing the intruder from easily removing the fastener380. However, it should be appreciated that the bracket210may be attached to the door20using any suitable means of fixation, such as adhesive, screws, rivets or the like, that are received through the bracket apertures224. The bracket210is positioned on the door20so that the lateral receiving aperture250is proximate to and substantially parallel to the lateral edge78of the door20or, alternatively, such that the receiving aperture250is proximate to and substantially parallel to the lateral edge76of the door20. Furthermore, the bracket210may be mounted so that it is substantially centered between the lateral edges76and78of the door20and below the knob90. In another aspect, the bracket210may be mounted so that it is substantially centered between the lateral edges76,78and the upper and lower edges72,74of the door20. However, in alternative embodiments, the bracket210may be attached to the door20in other orientations, whereby the receiving aperture250is positioned relative to other portions of the door20. For example, the bracket210may be attached to the door20so that the receiving aperture250is proximate to either of the upper and lower edges72,74or the lateral edges76,78. In one aspect, it should be appreciated that the bracket210may be made integral with the door20.

Next, the door flange150of the door brace10is attached to the retention bracket210. Specifically, the door flange150is slid laterally into the gap240, such that the tube100is received through the receiving aperture250and brought to rest within the receiving slot260, as shown inFIGS. 8-10. As such, the door flange150is received within each of the retention channels280A-C of the bracket210, such that the upper and lower ends184,186of the flange150are received within respective retention channels280A-B, and the lateral edge188of the flange150is received within the retention channel280C. Once the door brace10is attached to the bracket210, the floor flange160is positioned adjacent to the floor surface300, such that the flange aperture200is aligned with the sleeve aperture330of the sleeve320mounted in the floor surface300. Once the flange aperture200and the sleeve aperture330are aligned, the pin350is slideably received through the flange aperture200and the sleeve aperture330, thereby securing the floor flange160to the floor surface300. Thus, with the door flange150secured to the door20, as shown inFIG. 11, and the floor flange160secured to the floor surface300, as shown inFIG. 12, the door brace10provides increased support to the door20, thereby preventing the door20from being opened into the area or room40.

Thus, in summary, to prevent the door20from being pushed open, the door20is shut, as shown inFIG. 13, and the door brace10is slideably attached to the retention bracket210that has been previously attached to the door20, and the floor flange160is attached to the floor300by the pin350, as shown inFIG. 14. As such, when pushing forces are applied to the outer surface70of the door20by an intruder, the retention bracket210mounted to the door20retains the door flange150therein, and the pin350retains the floor flange160to the floor300, and as a result the applied force is transferred from the door20, through the door brace10, and to the floor300. As such, the strength of the door20is increased, enabling it to withstand large entry forces without being breached or opened, thereby providing increased security and protection to the people and contents within the area40into which the door20opens.

In an alternative embodiment, the door brace10may be mounted to the outer surface70of the door20, as shown inFIG. 15, to prevent an intruder from pulling the door20open by applying pulling forces to the inner surface60of the door20to gain entry into the area40. As such, the retention bracket210is mounted to the outer surface70of the door20, and the door brace is10is attached to the retention bracket210and to the floor surface300in the manner previously discussed. Thus, once the door20is shut, as shown inFIG. 16, the door brace10is attached to the retention bracket210and to the sleeve aperture330disposed in the floor surface300, as shown inFIG. 17, as previously discussed. As such, any pulling forces applied to the inner surface60of the door20by an intruder are effectively transferred from the door20, through the door brace10, and to the floor300, as previously discussed above. As such, the door20is able to withstand large entry forces without being breached or opened, thereby providing increased security and protection to the people and contents within the area40into which the door20opens.

Furthermore, while the components of the door brace10have been discussed as being formed from metal, it should be appreciated that one or more of the components of the door brace10may be formed from high-strength plastic.

Based on the foregoing, one advantage of the present invention is that a door brace provides a user-friendly device for securing a door. Another advantage of the present invention is that the door brace is easily and quickly mounted between a door and a floor surface. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the door brace substantially enhances the strength of the door, increasing the ability of the door to secure an area. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the door brace prevents a door from being breached or opened by large entry forces applied to the door by an intruder.

Thus, it can be seen that the objects of the invention have been satisfied by the structure and its method for use presented above. While in accordance with the Patent Statutes, only the best mode and preferred embodiment has been presented and described in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby. Accordingly, for an appreciation of the true scope and breadth of the invention, reference should be made to the following claims.