Abstract:
The present disclosure provides an externally operated semi-automatic door securing device comprising a transverse bar; a cable, wherein the cable is attached to the transverse bar; a pulley, wherein the cable is routed through the pulley; at least one bracket; and an access box located on the exterior of the door.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/995,322 filed Apr. 8, 2014 titled “Externally Operated Semi-Automatic Transverse Security Bar.” 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates generally to a system useful for security and more specifically relates to a system particularly useful while using a transverse bar for securing a door. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0003]    Transverse bars have been used in the past to secure doors from the inside. In addition to a simple door lock, the transverse bar allows for more strength and support, providing more resistance to outside forces pushing in. However, traditional transverse bar arrangements only provide security when a person is inside the premises and able to engage or remove the bar from the inside. Because many property owners may desire to protect the interior of a premises at all times, whether someone is inside or not, traditional transverse bars have limitations. Therefore, the need exists for a transverse bar security system that can be operated from either the interior or the exterior of the premises. 
         [0004]    The present invention provides a system which can be operated from either the inside or the outside, allowing for extra security whether or not a person is within the premises. An authorized operator may gain access to the system through an exterior, locked box, and may then disengage the transverse bar from its secured position. The present invention also provides for added security with the ability to include more than one transverse bar. In addition, the present invention contemplates both manual and electric options, allowing for even more flexibility. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In view of the foregoing shortcomings inherent in the conventional type of methods and systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a system for securing an entryway on the interior side, but which can be manually or electrically operated from the exterior side of the entryway by accessing lockboxes. 
         [0006]    In one embodiment, the externally operated semi-automatic door securing device comprises a transverse bar; a cable, wherein the cable is attached to the transverse bar; a pulley, wherein the cable is routed through the pulley; at least one bracket; and an access box located on the exterior of the door. 
         [0007]    In another embodiment, the externally operated semi-automatic door securing device comprises a transverse bar; a cable, wherein the cable is permanently attached to the transverse bar; a second cable, wherein the second cable is detachable from the transverse bar; a spindle, wherein the cable and the second cable are attached to the spindle; at least two brackets; and an access box located on the exterior of the door. 
         [0008]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0009]    To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings/pictures, recognizing however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    It should be noted that identical features in different drawings are shown with the same reference numeral. Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is an interior view of one embodiment of the externally operated semi-automatic door securing system. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is an interior view of an alternative embodiment of the externally operated semi-automatic door securing system. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is an interior view of an alternative embodiment of the externally operated semi-automatic door securing system, showing the security bar in a movable position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is an interior view of an alternative embodiment of the externally operated semi-automatic door securing system, showing the security bar in a stored position. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is an exterior view of an alternative embodiment of the externally operated semi-automatic door securing system. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a top view of a security bar for an alternative embodiment of the externally operated semi-automatic door securing system. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is an interior view of the components of a pulley housing for an alternative embodiment of the externally operated semi-automatic door securing system. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is an exterior and side view of an alternative embodiment of the externally operated semi-automatic door securing system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]      FIGS. 1 through 8  illustrate various views and embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment, shown in  FIG. 1 , the system  10  comprises a manually operated pulley  22  as well as an electric pulley  30  as a backup option. The system  10  comprises a transverse bar  12  attached to a Y-cable  26 , which is in turn attached to a primary cable  24 . The primary cable  24  runs over the pulley  22  and through the cable eye  34  to the exterior side of the door. The exterior side of the door may contain an exterior security box  58 , as shown in  FIG. 8  and further described below. In addition, the bar  12  may be attached to an electric cable  28 , which runs vertically and behind the primary cable  24 . The electric cable  28  is routed inside a pulley housing  32  and over an electric pulley  30 . To secure the door, the bar  12  is lowered until it rests in the brackets  16 , which are placed on either side of the door. The brackets  16  may be placed on the door frame itself, or farther out from the door on the wall. In its secured position, the system  10  keeps the door from opening to the inside. To unsecure the door, the bar  12  is raised out of the brackets  16  until it completely clears the brackets  16 . The system  10  may have magnetic stops  38  which can hold the bar  12  in an unsecured position while security is not needed. Finally, for added security the system  10  may also comprise an auxiliary bar  14 , which is connected to the bar  12  in parallel fashion by auxiliary cables  18 . When the bar  12  is lowered into its secured position, the auxiliary bar  14  is also lowered into the auxiliary brackets  20 , allowing for the extra protection. 
         [0020]    The bar  12  may be made of any number of materials, including but not limited to, wood, metal, plastic, or composite, depending on user preference and desired strength. In addition, the bar  12  may have differing shapes. Although the bar  12  is shown in a rectangular form, it may have a cylindrical shape, rounded edges, angled ends, or have a decorative overall shape or other decorative features. For example, in  FIG. 6 , the bar  12  is shown from a top view as having squared-off ends. However, the bar  12  may have ends that taper away from the door surface, which may assist in raising and lowering the bar, as it may be less likely to bump or catch the door frame surfaces. Similarly, the brackets  16  may be made of any number of materials, have various overall shapes, or have decorative features, depending on user preference. 
         [0021]    An alternative embodiment of the system  10  is shown in  FIG. 2 . In this embodiment, the system  10  is only manually operated. The pulley  22  is located inside a pulley housing  32 , and the primary cable  24  extends from the pulley  22  outside the pulley housing  32  and down toward the bar  12 . The primary cable  24  is connected to a Y-cable  26 , which is then attached to the bar  12 . For exterior manual operation, the exterior side of the door may contain an exterior security box  58 , as shown in  FIG. 8  and further described below. In this embodiment, there is only a single bar  12 , though another may be added to this manual system  10  for extra security, similar to that shown in  FIG. 1 . This embodiment also shows a vertical holder  36 , which can be used to store the bar  12  when not in use. The vertical holder  36  may be magnetic, or it may be a hook, grip, nail or other mechanism which may be used to hang or hold the bar  12 . 
         [0022]    Another alternative embodiment of the system  10  is shown in  FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, a double-cabled method is used for raising, lowering, and storing the bar  12 . An electric power box  46 , supplied by a power cord  40 , may house a pulley arrangement, or it may house a spindle arrangement as shown in  FIG. 7  and further described below. While an electric operation is shown, this double-cabled system  10  could also be operated manually. As shown, the bar  12  in this embodiment is attached to a permanent cable  42  as well as a detachable cable  44 . The bar  12  is raised and lowered into the brackets  16  to unsecure and secure the door. The detachable cable  44  can be removed from the bar  12  in order to store the bar  12  in the vertical holder  36 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  shows the embodiment described above and shown in  FIG. 3 . In this view, the bar  12  is shown in a stored position, vertically in the vertical holder  36 . The detachable cable  44  is also shown as removed from the bar  12 . This arrangement allows the bar  12  to be stored vertically without the need for completely disconnecting the bar  12  from the rest of the system  10 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  shows an exterior view of one embodiment of the system  10 . In this embodiment, the system  10  may comprise an electric power box  46  on the door exterior. This electric power box  46  may be opened through an outside key access  48 . This exterior component of the system  10  allows a person to approach the door, secured with the bar  12  from the inside, open the electric power box  46  with a key, and disengage the bar  12 . The manner in which the person could activate the system  10  and begin to disengage the bar  12  could be accomplished by a button, switch, lever, keypad, or even a touch screen arrangement. Moreover, the exterior component of the system  10  as shown in this  FIG. 5  is electrical, but this exterior box could also be implemented in the manual version of the system  10  as described herein. For example, the exterior box may still have an outside key access  48 , but rather than a button or switch to activate the electrical component of the system  10 , the exterior box may contain a handle which the operator may pull to disengage the system  10  from the outside. Finally, the electric power box  46  may function as an override mechanism in case of power failure or other type of system  10  malfunction. In such circumstances, the operator would be able to use the outside key access  48  to disengage the system  10 . 
         [0025]    An optional component of the system  10  is shown in  FIG. 6 , which is a top view of the bar  12 . In this embodiment, the bar  12  may include a slack stopper  50  along the length of the bar  12 . This slack stopper  50  may be a protrusion, hook, eyelet, or other attachment which is connected to the bar  12  on its door-facing side. The cable or cables, whether the primary cable  24 , Y-cable  26 , auxiliary cable  18 , permanent cable  42 , or detachable cable  44 , may be connected to the bar  12  via the slack stopper  50 . The slack stopper  50  functions to prevent excess slack in the cables which are attached to the bar  12 . The slack stopper  50  may be adjusted along the length of the bar  12  in order to maintain cable tautness as necessary. 
         [0026]    An alternate embodiment of the slack stopper  50  may have a function which pertains not to the cables, but instead to the bar  12  itself. The slack stopper  50  may be a knob that is attached to the bar  12  on its door facing side, and which knob may be adjusted so that it moves in toward the bar  12  and away from the door surface, or conversely, outward from the bar  12  and toward the door surface. This embodiment of the slack stopper  50  allows for the creation of a smaller gap between the door and the bar  12 , which in turn adds security. The slack stopper  50  may be adjusted so that it touches the door surface, where there is no space at all between the bar  12  and door. Again, this adds security by preventing an unauthorized person from opening the door even a small amount before coming into contact with the engaged bar  12 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 7  shows the interior of a pulley housing  32  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the pulley housing  32  contains a spindle arrangement for raising and lowering the bar  12 . This spindle arrangement may be useful when the system  10  comprises a  2 -cable arrangement, perhaps using one permanent cable  42  and one detachable cable  44 . The spindle comprises a small shaft  52  and a large shaft  54 , with the two shafts being connected in line with one another such that they rotate about the same longitudinal axis. Although this embodiment shows the small shaft  52  attached to the permanent cable  42 , and the large shaft  54  attached to the detachable cable  44 , other combinations may be used. In this arrangement, the permanent cable  42  and detachable cable  44  both become wrapped around the small shaft  52  and the large shaft  54 , respectively, lifting the bar  12  out of the brackets  16  and thus unsecuring the system  10 . The purpose of having a large shaft  54  with greater diameter than the small shaft  52  is to lift one side of the bar  12  at a faster rate than the other side of the bar  12 . This arrangement allows for the bar  12  to be brought into a near-vertical position in relation to the door. However, the spindle could also be comprised of one single-diameter shaft, which would lift the bar  12  in a horizontal manner. Other arrangements for the interior of the pulley housing  32  are contemplated by the present invention, such as one single traditional pulley  22  in the case of a single-cable system  10 . 
         [0028]    In  FIG. 8 , one embodiment of a manual version of the system  10  is shown with a backup electrical mechanism. In this embodiment, the system  10  comprises an exterior security box  58  on the exterior side of the door. The exterior security box  58  may be lockable as described in relation to  FIG. 5  above. The exterior security box  58  may contain a pull handle  56 , which is attached to the primary cable  24 . The primary cable  24  is routed through the door by way of a cable eye  34 , leading to the interior side of the door. Once on the interior side of the door, the primary cable  24  is directed over a pulley  22 , and extends downward until its attachment to the bar  12 . In this embodiment, an operator may simply pull the pull handle  56  away from the door itself, and this motion lifts the bar  12  from its brackets  16 . This embodiment also shows a backup electrical option, where an electrical component may be inside the pulley housing  32 . The electric cable  28  may run close to the door, behind the primary cable  24 , where it attaches to the bar  12 . Although this figure shows the exterior security box  58  as containing only the manual pull handle  56 , the exterior security box  58  may contain both manual and electrical components, allowing an operator access to the manual arrangement as well as the backup electrical arrangement. 
         [0029]    While the invention has been discussed as being useful for securing a door, it should be recognized that the system  10  can be used for other purposes and in other arrangements, such as the securing of a window or other type of entry point.