A security doorstop has a base and a jaw pivotally connected to the base. A first end of the jaw has upwardly pointing teeth adapted to drive or press into an underside of a door, while the base has downwardly pointing teeth adapted to drive or press into a floor surface under the door underside. The actuator includes a screw and a threaded collar mounted on the screw so that, when the threaded collar is turned to be driven downward, operates to press downwardly on a proximal portion of the jaw so as to pivot a distal portion of the jaw upward, to press the jaw teeth upward against the door underside and the base teeth against the floor.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to security doorstops. More particularly, it relates to security doorstops that engage the underside of a door.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a security doorstop comprises a base, a jaw, and an actuator. The base has a lower side with a downward facing floor gripping region. The jaw is pivotally connected to the base and has an upward facing door gripping region above the downward facing floor gripping region. The actuator is connected between the base and the jaw so that, when the door gripping region and the floor gripping region are positioned in a vertical gap between an underside of a door and a floor surface, actuating the actuator causes the door gripping region of the jaw to pivot upwardly relative to the floor gripping region of the base, to cause the door gripping region to press upwardly against the door underside and the floor gripping region to press downwardly against the floor surface.

A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that elements of the figures above are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The dimensions of some elements in the figures may have been exaggerated relative to other elements to help to understand the present teachings. Furthermore, a particular order in which certain elements, parts, components, modules, steps, actions, events and/or processes are described or illustrated may not be required. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that, for simplicity and clarity of illustration, some commonly known and well-understood elements that are useful and/or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment may not be depicted to provide a clear view of various embodiments per the present teachings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of various examples of embodiments of the disclosed system and method, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various example devices, systems, and environments in which aspects of the disclosed system and method can be practiced. Other specific arrangements of parts, example devices, systems, and environments, can be used, and structural modifications and functional modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed system and method.

Described in the present disclosure and illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures are embodiments of a mechanical security doorstop that can be manually actuated to brace and release a door. The doorstop has a base, a jaw pivotally connected to the base, and a bi-directional manual actuator adapted to pivot the jaw to a selected angle relative to the base and to hold the jaw at the selected angle. The jaw has a door gripping region, and the base has a floor gripping region, at least a portion of the door gripping region being above at least a portion of the floor gripping region during normal use of the doorstop. When the door gripping region of the jaw and the floor gripping region of the base are inserted into a vertical gap between a door underside and a floor surface, actuating the manual actuator in a tightening direction causes the door gripping region to press upwardly against an underside of the door and the floor gripping region to press downwardly against the floor surface, to brace and hold the door closed against an opening force or torque applied to the door in a plane parallel to the floor surface. With reference to the drawing figures, a first embodiment of a doorstop10is illustrated inFIGS.1-6, a second embodiment of a doorstop10′ is illustrated inFIG.7, and a third embodiment of a doorstop10″ is illustrated inFIGS.8-11.

Turning toFIGS.1-6, the doorstop10comprises a base12, a jaw14, and an actuator16. The jaw14is pivotally connected to the base12at a pivotal joint15, the pivotal joint15comprising a pin (best seen in the top view ofFIG.3) extending through respective holes in the base12and jaw14, best seen in the exploded perspective and elevation views of portions of the base12and jaw14inFIGS.4and5. The jaw14includes a door gripping region17at a distal end of the jaw14, the door gripping region17comprising upward facing jaw teeth18. The base12includes a floor gripping region19at a distal end of the base12, the floor gripping region19comprising downward facing base teeth20. The floor gripping region19may comprise all or only a portion of a lower side of the base12that is adapted to be supported on a floor surface, and thus the base teeth20may be distributed only along a distal portion of the lower side of the base12that is adapted to lie directly beneath a door underside, or the base teeth20may be distributed along an entire length of the lower side of the base12, as shown inFIG.4.

In embodiments according to this disclosure, including in the first and second illustrated embodiments of the doorstops10and10′, ofFIGS.1-6andFIG.7, respectively, a jaw further includes a normal obstruction. In particular, the doorstops10,10′ include a normal obstruction21,21′ of the respective jaw14,14′. The normal obstruction21,21′ comprises an upward protrusion disposed proximally of the door gripping region17,17′, and more particularly a plurality of such upward protrusions. As illustrated inFIG.6, the normal obstruction21is adapted to extend above an underside U of a door D that is gripped by the door gripping region17, so as to oppose a vertical leading side VL of the door D that extends upwardly from a leading edge of the door underside U, so as to be operative to normally obstruct door-opening movement of the vertical leading side VL of the door D.

As seen inFIG.2, the actuator16includes a screw22having a tabbed threaded collar24connected thereto such that, when the threaded collar24is driven downward on the screw22, the threaded collar24pushes downwardly on a guide plate26that is affixed to the proximal end of the jaw14, so as to cause the distal end of the jaw14to pivot upwardly so that the door gripping region17movies upwardly. The threaded collar24comprises a tab that extends transversely away from an axis of the screw22, so as to provide leverage for manually turning the collar24about the screw22. The threaded collar24may be turned directly by hand and is optionally driven by a removable hand crank25, the crank25comprising a hollow crank shaft27with a notch29formed therein to receive and drive the threaded collar24as the hand crank25is rotated. An upper end of the screw22is inserted through the guide plate26with clearance to permit the guide plate26to travel up and down and to pivot relative to the screw22, so as to accommodate pivotal movement of the jaw14relative to the base12.

A lower end of the screw22is connected to the base12by mounting arms32. Optionally, the mounting arms32are rotatably connected to the base12to permit the screw22to pivot relative to the base12and remain perpendicular to the guide plate26, as the jaw14pivots up and down, so that the threaded collar24can be aligned so as to press perpendicularly against the guide plate26to force the proximal end of the jaw14to pivot downwardly. Alternatively or in addition, the guide plate26can have a longitudinal slot (not shown) that is operative to receive the screw22with sufficient longitudinal clearance to permit the jaw14to pivot throughout its operating range of motion without impinging on the screw22while the screw22remains upright. In embodiments in which an actuator screw is affixed to the base, the threaded collar can optionally have an annular rounded/radiused contact shoulder at its lower end for normally engaging a guide plate over a range of non-horizontal angles of inclination of the guide plate.

According to a method illustrated inFIG.6, at least a portion of each of the door gripping region17of the jaw14and the floor gripping region19of the base12is inserted into a vertical gap between a door D and a floor surface F, and the actuator16is actuated so as to press the door gripping region17against an underside of the door D and the floor gripping region19against the floor surface F. When the doorstop10is disposed in this manner, an opening force Foapplied to the door D is resisted by a floor shear holding force Ffsbetween the floor surface and the floor gripping region19, transmitted to the door as a door shear holding force Fdsbetween the underside of the door D and the door gripping region17, and/or as a normal contact holding force Fnbetween the normal obstruction21and an opposing vertical side of the door D. The normal obstruction21serves to prevent the door D from being dislodged from the door gripping region17by a door opening force Foexceeding the door shear holding force Fds. Instead, such a force Foapplied to the door D could only permit entry if either sufficient to destroy the door D (such as by driving the normal obstruction21through an entire lower end thickness of the door D), or sufficient to overcome the floor shear holding force Ffsand maintained throughout an entire door opening movement required to open the door D wide enough to permit entry, while pushing the entire doorstop10across the floor surface F.

Turning toFIG.7, analogous parts of the second embodiment of a doorstop10′ to those of the doorstop10are labeled with like numerals followed by a “prime” symbol, for example, a base12′, a jaw14′, etc. A threaded collar of the doorstop10′ is comprised in a hub of a one-piece handwheel24′, the handwheel24′ having a peripheral ring that fully encircles an axis of a screw22′, to facilitate steady manual turning of the threaded collar on the screw22′. The handwheel24′ may be turned using either one hand or two hands, which may be placed on opposite sides of the handwheel24′. In addition, the doorstop10′ comprises a handle34. The handle34is affixed to the jaw14′ and facilitates sliding the doorstop10′ into or out of position for securing a door, as well as carrying the doorstop10′, by grasping the handle34.

Turning toFIGS.8-11, analogous parts of the third embodiment of a doorstop10″ to those of the doorstop10and/or those of the doorstop10′ are labeled with like numerals followed by a “double-prime” symbol, for example, a base12″, a jaw14″, etc. Similarly to the doorstop10′, a threaded collar of the doorstop10″ is comprised in a hub of a one-piece handwheel24″, the handwheel24″ having a different shape than that of the handwheel24′, including integrally formed spokes extending from the hub/threaded collar of the handwheel24″ to its outer ring. A removable c-clip36is operative to snap radially onto an upper end of a screw22″ to retain the handwheel24″ to the screw22″. With reference toFIGS.8,10and11, a longitudinal slot formed in the guide plate26″, in conjunction with the screw22″ being pivotally mounted at its lower end to the base12″, permits the screw22″ to passively self-align perpendicularly to the guide plate26″ as the handwheel24″ is driven toward its bottommost position, at which the guide plate26″ is sandwiched between the lower end of a threaded collar of the handwheel24″ and the mounting arms32″ of the screw22″ (and optionally a washer, unlabeled inFIGS.8-11, is sandwiched between the handwheel24″ and guide plate26″ as illustrated inFIG.11).

The base12″ is divided into substantially mirror-image left-side and right-side vertical plates, and the jaw14″ comprises three vertical plates that are spaced evenly between the vertical plates of the base12″, the three plates of the jaw14″ being pivotally connected to the two plates of the base12″ at the pivotal joint15″. In addition, the three plates of the jaw14″ are fixedly connected to one another and each to the guide plate26″, and the two plates of the base12″ are further connected to each other by each being pivotally connected to a respective lateral end of a pivotal base segment of the screw22″. Similarly to the doorstop10′, the middle plate of the jaw14″ has a handle34″ formed thereon for lifting and repositioning the doorstop10″.

The base12″ of the doorstop10″ has formed at or near its distal end a top-surface ramp portion37that is inclined upwardly in a proximal direction. More particularly, the ramp portion37has a uniform incline generally extending alongside the length L of a door-gripping region17″ of the jaw14″, which can, for example, be about four to six inches, or more particularly approximately 5.14 inches, at an angle of inclination of about 10-20°, or more particularly approximately 15°.

As shown inFIG.11, each tooth18″ of the door-gripping region17″ has a distal face38and a proximal face40, the teeth18″ collectively defining a point line42that connects their tips and a base line44that connects the inside corners of the gaps between them, the base line44being parallel to the point line42, and each being generally parallel to the ramp portion34of the base12″ when the jaw14″ is in a fully lowered position illustrated inFIG.10. When the jaw is raised to the fully raised position shown inFIG.11, the point line42and base line44are approximately parallel to the floor gripping region19″ of the base12″, and thus to a floor surface F (FIG.9) when the base12″ is supported thereon.

The distal face38of each tooth18″ is inclined at an upward angle θ in the proximal direction of about 10-20° above the point line42and base line44, or more particularly about 15°, thus approximately 30° above a bottom side of the jaw14″, the bottom side of the fully lowered jaw14″ being parallel to the floor gripping region19″ and thus also to the floor F when the base12″ is supported thereon. Accordingly, the distal tooth face38(and a distal end face of the jaw14″ itself, which comprises that of the distalmost tooth18″ and a forward/distal extension of it), can be inclined proximally approximately above a horizontal plane by an angle as large as about 30°, when the jaw14″ is fully lowered, or as small as about 15°, when the jaw14″ is fully raised. The proximal face40can, for example, be approximately perpendicular or inclined slightly distally from perpendicular to the point and base lines42,44. A tooth height h of the teeth18″, measured perpendicularly from the base line44to the point line42, can, for example, be about 0.1 to 0.15 inch, or more particularly approximately 0.125 inch, and a length l of the distal face38can be about 0.4 inch to about 0.6 inch, or approximately 0.482 inch.

A height of a lower-distal end of the ramp portion37is preferably adapted and configured to fit within a typical vertical clearance between a door underside and a floor surface disposed beneath the door underside where the door is installed. More particularly, the distal end of the ramp portion37is adapted and configured to be disposed about 0.25-0.35 inch above a floor surface F, or more particularly approximately 0.3 inch, when the doorstop10″ is supported thereon as shown inFIG.9. The base teeth20″ of the floor gripping region19″ can, for example, have an approximately equilateral triangular shape and be arranged side-by-side with an axis of each tooth20″ pointing straight down when the doorstop10″ is supported horizontally on its base12″, the base teeth20″ having a base-line-to-point-line height similar to that of the jaw teeth18″, such as from about 1/16 inch to about ¼ inch. A height of an upper-proximal end of the ramp portion37is preferably adapted and configured to exceed that of a typical door underside above a floor surface where the door is installed, the tips of the jaw teeth18″ of the door gripping region17″ being disposed just below the profile of the ramp portion37when the jaw14″ is in its fully lowered position. More particularly, the ramp portion37and the door gripping region17″ of the fully lowered jaw14″ can extend in the proximal direction up to a height, for example, of about 1-1½ inch, or more particularly about 1⅓ inch above the supporting floor surface F, approximately at a longitudinal position of the pivotal joint15″.

Doorstops according to this disclosure, including the doorstops10,10′,10″ of the above-described embodiments, can be made of any suitable materials with desirable strength and toughness properties. For example, the plates of the bases12,12′,12″, jaws14,14′,14″, the guide plates26,26′,26″ can be made of a suitable material, including a suitable metallic material, such as being cut from ⅛-inch to ½-inch thick steel plates, or more particularly from ¼-inch thick steel plates. Alternatively, the base could be made from stainless steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, or a different suitable material. The actuator screws22,22′,22″ can, for example, be stainless steel, aluminum, or a different suitable material, such as a suitable metallic material. The tabbed threaded collar24of the doorstop10and the handwheels24′,24″ of the doorstops10′,10″ can be made, for example, of cast aluminum, stainless steel, carbon fiber, or an alternative material.

According to a method of use, the doorstop10″ is positioned with the ramp portion37positioned under the underside of a door, as illustrated inFIG.9. More particularly, the doorstop10″ can be pushed forward (i.e., in the distal direction) under the door until the ramp portion37abuts against the door underside, to facilitate a desired alignment of the doorstop10″ for secure engagement with the door. More particularly, abutting the ramp portion37against the door underside before tightening the jaw14″ promotes generally perpendicular alignment of the doorstop10″ with the door, as well as insertion of the doorstop10″ to a desired distal depth, so that a desired point or desired area of the door gripping region17″ can engage the door when the jaw14″ is tightened. The handwheel24″ is then rotated so as to be driven downward on the screw22″ (more particularly clockwise about the screw axis), in turn pressing the guide plate26″ at the proximal end of the jaw14″ downward, and thus pivoting the portion of the jaw14″ disposed distally of the pivotal joint15″ upward, until the teeth18″ of the door gripping region17″ press upward against the underside of the door, and the teeth20″ of the floor gripping region19″ press downwardly against the floor surface F, so as to resist sliding movement of the doorstop10″ relative to the floor surface F and door opening movement of the door relative to the doorstop10″.

The preceding description of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. The description was selected to best explain the principles of the present teachings and the practical application of these principles to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the disclosure in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It should be recognized that the words “a” or “an” are intended to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural elements shall, where appropriate, include the singular.

It is intended that the scope of the disclosure not be limited by the specification but be defined by the claim(s) set forth below. In addition, although narrow claims may be presented below, it should be recognized that the scope of this disclosure is much broader than presented by the claim(s). It is intended that broader claims will be submitted in one or more applications that claim the benefit of priority from this application. Insofar as the description above and the accompanying drawings disclose additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the claim or claims below, the additional disclosures are not dedicated to the public and the right to file one or ore applications to claim such additional disclosures is reserved.