Abstract:
A deadbolt lock cover is removably attachable to an anchor plate. While a door is opened, the deadbolt lock cover may be removably engaged with the anchor plate by means of bolts and hooks. When the cover has been engaged with the anchor plate and the door is closed, the interior portion of the deadbolt lock, having the manually operable knob, is inaccessible, being completely covered by the deadbolt lock cover. Thus, the deadbolt lock may only be unlocked by using a key on the outside tumbler of the lock. The cover may include a frame for supporting the bolts and may be of a variety of different geometries.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/858,109 filed on Jul. 24, 2014, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable. 
       NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC AND INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF THE MATERIAL 
       [0004]    Not Applicable. 
       COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
       [0005]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    1. Field of Endeavor 
         [0007]    The present invention relates to devices and methods for preventing intrusion into a building by accessing the interior tumbler of a deadbolt. More particularly, the invention relates to a cover that may be secured over the inside portion of a deadbolt lock, thereby preventing a person from actuating a lever and retracting the deadbolt such that a door may be opened. 
         [0008]    2. Background Information 
         [0009]    It is well known in the art to provide a door with a deadbolt lock. Such locks are generally provided where security is a concern, such as the door of a home, business, or hotel room. The deadbolt is often mounted above the doorknob that actuates the less secure spring loaded latch. The deadbolt lock is operable by a key on the outside. It may be operable without a key on the inside by a simple knob or lever. This enables escape in an emergency without a key. The knob or lever is elliptical in shape so that a user can visually determine whether the deadbolt is locked or unlocked. The long axis of the ellipse is generally vertical when the bolt is in the locked position. When a person is secure behind a deadbolt locked door, that security may be breached by someone with a key, or someone with means to retract the bolt. 
         [0010]    It is advantageous to provide a knob or lever on the inside of a deadbolt lock for ease of use as well as for safety reasons. In an emergency, it is generally preferable for the lock to be opened easily and quickly from the inside. However, this may provide a security risk if there is a window close to the deadbolt lock. An intruder may break the glass of the window and reach inside and twist the lever of the deadbolt lock, thereby permitting access through the locked door. 
         [0011]    To prevent an intruder from opening the door by reaching through a broken window, one may use a deadbolt lock that may only be opened or closed with a key on both the inside and the outside. However, this results in the deadbolt lock being considerably more difficult to use. 
         [0012]    In view of the foregoing, there is a need to provide a deadbolt lock that may be easily opened from the inside, but may not be easily opened by an intruder. It is therefore desirable to provide a deadbolt lock having an easily operated lever on the inside while also preventing access to the lever by an intruder on the outside of a door. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a device for preventing intrusion into a building by preventing engagement and actuation of the knob on the interior portion of a deadbolt lock. 
         [0014]    In greater detail, the present invention provides a means for covering and blocking access to the knob on the interior portion of a deadbolt lock when the door is otherwise locked. The invention prevents removing of the deadbolt from the locked position by any means other than use of a key on the tumbler located on the exterior portion of the deadbolt lock. 
         [0015]    In one embodiment, the deadbolt lock cover comprises a cover having a top wall and one or more side walls, a frame, and one or more bolts protruding from the frame. The invention also includes an anchor plate having one or more hooks for removable engagement with the bolts of the frame. The bolts and hooks may only be disengaged such that the deadbolt lock cover may be removed from its position blocking access to the interior portion of the deadbolt lock when the door has been opened. As a result, the deadbolt lock may not be moved into the unlocked position without use of a key on the exterior of the deadbolt lock. 
         [0016]    These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional environmental view of a deadbolt lock cover in accordance with the principles of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a deadbolt lock cover and anchor plate in accordance with the principles of the invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is another cross-sectional view of a deadbolt lock cover and anchor plate in accordance with the principles of the invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a deadbolt lock cover and anchor plate in accordance with the principles of the invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a deadbolt lock cover engaged to an anchor plate in accordance with the principles of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0024]    Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0025]    Disclosed is a deadbolt lock cover that may be secured into place such that the lever on the interior of a deadbolt lock may be inaccessible. 
         [0026]    In greater detail, a cover for the interior of a deadbolt lock may be secured to an anchor plate adjacent to the door. Once the cover is secured to the anchor plate, the interior deadbolt latch may be inaccessible. 
         [0027]      FIG. 1  shows a cross section of an interior deadbolt lock cover  10  in accordance with the principles of the invention. A lock cover may include a shell  22  having an interior frame  24 . The frame supports the shell and one or more bolts  26 . An anchor plate  18  may be affixed to a wall  17  adjacent to a doorjamb. The anchor plate  18  may include one or more hooks  20  which may engage bolts  26  of the frame  24 . A door  12  swings open and shut along directional arrow  16 . When the door  12  is shut, the interior portion of a deadbolt lock  14  and the knob  28  are covered by the shell  22 , such that they are inaccessible. The only way to detach the lock cover shell  22  from the anchor plate  18  is to push the shell  22  in the direction of arrow  19 , which requires that the door be opened. Thus, there is no means to open the door without use of the key to the deadbolt. 
         [0028]    When a user desires to use the deadbolt lock cover  10 , he or she may swing the door  12  open. The shell  22  may then be engaged with the anchor plate  18  by engaging the bolts  26  with the hooks  20  and pushing the shell  22  in a direction opposite to arrow  19 . As a result, the shell  22  engages the anchor plate  18  securely. Next, the door  12  is shut such that it lies flush with the doorjamb  17 . A key may then be used to engage the deadbolt and lock the door  12 . When the door  12  is locked shut, the shell  22  completely covers the interior of the deadbolt lock  14 . The interior deadlock cover  10  in accordance with the principles of the invention, when used in this manner, securely locks the door  12  such that the only means for unlocking the door  12  is by using a key with the exterior of the deadbolt lock  15 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 2  shows the shell  22  and the anchor plate  18  disengaged from one another and with anchor plate  18  not attached to a wall. In this embodiment, anchor plate  18  may include two hooks  20  and three screw holes  21 . Screw holes  21  may be used to affix the anchor plate  18  to a wall adjacent to a doorjamb. 
         [0030]    Shell  22  may include two sidewalls  30  on each end of the top wall  32 . Sidewalls  30  and top wall  32 , substantially cover the interior side of a deadbolt lock and knob. In this embodiment, the shell  22  is substantially rectangular with the top wall  32  being curved. However, the shell  22  may be any of a variety of geometric configurations so long as it substantially covers and prevents access to the interior side of a deadbolt lock. For example, the side walls  30  and the top wall  32  may be replaced with a single curved wall that forms a hemispherical shape, or may be of other configurations. 
         [0031]    In  FIG. 2 , the frame  24  of the deadbolt lock shell  22  may also be seen. Frame  24  supports one or more bolts  26  that may engage hooks  20  in order to securely affix the deadbolt covering shell  22  to the anchor plate  18 . Other mechanisms may be used in place of the hooks and bolts. For example, the hooks  20  and bolts  26  may be reversed, such that the anchor plate has bolts and the frame has hooks. Other mechanisms may also be suitable so long as they require the cover to slide in relation to the plate in a direction toward the door in order to disengage the cover from the anchor plate. 
         [0032]      FIG. 3  shows a cross-section of an interior deadbolt lock covering shell  22 . Top wall  32  curves so as to form an end wall. Together with sidewalls  30 , top wall  32  conceals the entire interior portion of a deadbolt lock. Bolts  26  protrude from frame  24  and are designed to engage hooks  20  which protrude from anchor plate  18 . 
         [0033]    In another embodiment, shown in  FIG. 4 , an interior deadbolt lock covering shell  50  is removably attachable to anchor plate  60  in accordance with the principles of the invention. Deadbolt lock covering shell  50  includes a top wall  54  and two side walls  56  that together cover the interior of a deadbolt lock. Frame  52  includes two bolts  58 , for attachment to hooks  62  of the anchor plate  60 . In this embodiment, frame  52  is more extensive than the frame shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . So long as a frame provides sufficient room in which to house and contain the interior of a deadbolt lock, the frame  52  may be of any configuration. 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  shows the interior deadbolt lock covering shell  50  engaged with anchor plate  60 . In this figure, it may be seen how bolt  58  engages hook  62 . When the anchor plate  60  is a fixed to a wall adjacent to a door, and the shell  50  is engaged with the anchor plate  60 , the deadbolt lock cover may be secured over the anterior portion of a deadbolt lock such that it is not possible to utilize the knob and withdraw the bolt from the doorframe. Thus, the door may be unlocked only by using a key on the exterior deadbolt lock. 
         [0035]    Whereas, the present invention has been described in relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention. Descriptions of the embodiments shown in the drawings should not be construed as limiting or defining the ordinary and plain meanings of the terms of the claims unless such is explicitly indicated. 
         [0036]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.