Abstract:
A safety gate has two frame assemblies, a shaft fixing assembly and a stretcher assembly. A relative distance between the two frame assemblies is fixed by the shaft fixing assembly first. The stretcher assembly further pushes the two frame assemblies outwardly so that the two frame assemblies tightly abut against two walls of a mounting premise and can be held on the walls securely. When the safety gate is not in use, the stretcher assembly is released to loosen the safety gate from the walls and the stretcher assembly can be moved to elsewhere. As the safety gate can be repeatedly mounted without having to readjust the relative distance between the two frame assemblies with the shaft fixing assembly, the operation of the safety gate is easy and convenient.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a safety gate, and more particularly to a safety gate capable of locking a distance between two sides of the safety gate for the purpose of repeated mountings. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Safety gates serve to block young children or pets at the top of stairs for a fall protection or at the entrance to a room, such as kitchen or living room, to limit the infants or pets to stay in the room or from accessing the room. 
     A conventional safety gate substantially comprises two movable frames and a fixing element. After the two movable frames are adjusted to abut against two opposite sides of an entrance, the fixing element is used to keep the movable frames at the relative distance so that the safety gate can be tightly mounted on the sides of the entrance in completion of the mounting process. 
     A successful mounting of the conventional safety gate relies on simultaneous and tight contact of the edges of the movable frames with the door frame and the locking of the fixing element at the same time to prevent the safety gate from easily toppling and falling, but it is rather difficult for only one person to independently mount the conventional safety gate. 
     In addition, a stretcher element is further provided to slightly stretch the two movable frames outwardly to abut against two sides of an entrance. Therefore, when the relative distance between the two movable frames is adjusted, contact tightness between two sides of the entrance and the two movable frames may not be critical as the stretcher element makes the mounting of such safety gate easier and more secure. 
     However, the fixing elements and the stretcher elements of the conventional safety gates are designed and manufactured in combination, or in other words, they can only be operated at the same time. When the safety gate is dismounted and the stretcher element is released, the two movable frames are unattached to the sides of the entrance, and the relative distance between the movable frames for mounting is easily altered after the safety gate is dismounted. As a result, the relative distance between the movable frames needs to be repeatedly adjusted even though the safety gate is mounted at a same place again. Such readjustment over and over again causes inconvenience in use and the conventional safety gates need to be further improved. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An objective of the present invention is to provide a safety gate capable of locking a distance between two sides of the safety gate for the purpose of repeated mountings. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the safety gate has a first frame assembly, a second frame assembly, a shaft fixing assembly and a stretcher assembly. 
     The first frame assembly has a first frame, a first shaft rack and a first shaft. The first shaft rack is mounted on one side edge of the first frame in a transverse direction. The first shaft is securely mounted on the first shaft rack. 
     The second frame assembly is adjacent to the other side edge of the first frame in the transverse direction and has a second frame, a second shaft rack and a second shaft. The second frame is mounted between the first frame and the first shaft. The second shaft rack is mounted on a side edge of the second frame adjacent to the first shaft rack in the transverse direction, and has a rack abutting surface formed on the second shaft rack and faces the first shaft rack. The second shaft is securely mounted on the second shaft rack and is transversely slidable when combined with the first shaft. 
     The shaft fixing assembly is mounted around the first shaft and has a clamping sleeve, a compression arm and a stretcher assembly. The clamping sleeve is mounted around the first shaft and has two open sides, an open top, a chamber, two pressing walls, two pressing protrusions, two positioning grooves, two first pivot holes and two second pivot holes. The chamber is defined in the clamping sleeve and communicates with the open sides and the open top. A section of the chamber along a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the transverse direction corresponds to that of the first shaft along the longitudinal direction. The pressing walls are respectively formed on and protrude upwardly from two top portions of the clamping sleeve. The pressing protrusions are respectively formed on and protruding outwardly from peripheries of the two pressing walls. The positioning grooves are respectively formed in the peripheries of the two pressing walls. Each first pivot hole is formed through one end of one of the pressing walls facing the first shaft rack and aligning with the other first pivot hole. Each second pivot hole is formed through the other end of one of the pressing walls away from the first shaft rack and aligns with the other second pivot hole. 
     The compression arm is mounted above the clamping sleeve and has an open side, an open bottom, two inner walls, a chamber, two walls and two positioning ribs. The inner walls are opposite to each other. The chamber is defined in the compression arm and communicates with the open side and the open bottom. The walls sandwich the chamber and are respectively mounted on the peripheries of the pressing walls when the compression arm is pivoted downwardly to rest on the pressing walls. The positioning ribs are respectively formed on and protrude from the two inner walls of the compression arm and respectively align with the positioning grooves. One end of the compression arm is pivotally connected to the first pivot holes of the pressing walls. 
     The stretcher assembly is mounted around the first shaft, the clamping sleeve and the compression arm, is pivotally connected to the second pivot holes of the clamping sleeve and has a top surface and two sidewalls. The top surface has a top hole formed through one end of the top surface opposite to the first shaft rack. Each sidewall has a first abutting edge, a second abutting edge and a pivot hole. The first abutting edge is intersected by the top surface of the stretcher assembly and the sidewall. The second abutting edge is connected with the first abutting edge and is opposite to the first shaft rack. The pivot hole is formed through the sidewall to align with the pivot hole of the other sidewall, and is pivotally connected to the second pivot holes of the clamping sleeve. A distance from the pivot hole to the first abutting edge is smaller than a distance from the pivot hole to the second abutting edge. 
     The shaft fixing assembly serves to fix a relative distance between the first frame and the second frame. The stretcher assembly and the second shaft rack are used to further stretch out the first frame and the second frame so that the safety gate tightly abuts against two walls of a mounting premise and does not topple. When the safety gate is not in use, the safety gate can be loosened easily from the walls after the stretcher assembly is released and the safety gate can be then moved to elsewhere for storing. Without the readjustment of the shaft fixing assembly, the same relative distance between the first frame and the second frame can be repeatedly applied to subsequent mountings. Accordingly, the safety gate can be mounted easily and conveniently. 
     Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a safety gate in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a first enlarged exploded perspective view of the safety gate in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a second enlarged exploded perspective view of the safety gate in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a third enlarged exploded perspective view of the safety gate in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged side view in partial section of the safety gate in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an operational front view of the safety gate in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a first enlarged operational front view of the safety gate in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a second enlarged operational front view of the safety gate in  FIG. 6 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a third enlarged operational front view of the safety gate in  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a safety gate in accordance with the present invention has a first frame assembly  10 , a second frame assembly  20 , a shaft fixing assembly  40 , a stretcher assembly  61 , an anti-pinch assembly  70  and multiple contact pads  80 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , the first frame assembly  10  has a first frame  11 , a first shaft rack  12  and a first shaft  13 . The first shaft rack  12  is mounted on one side edge of the first frame  11  in a transverse direction. The first shaft  13  is securely mounted on the first shaft rack  12  and has a non-circular section. 
     The second frame assembly  20  is adjacent to the other side edge of the first frame  11  in the transverse direction and has a second frame  21 , a second shaft rack  22  and a second shaft  23 . The second frame  21  is mounted between the first frame  11  and the first shaft  13 . A slider is mounted on each of the top edges and the bottom edges of the first frame  11  and second frame  21  so that the first frame  11  and the second frame  21  can be smoothly slidable relative to each other and a length between outer edges of the first frame assembly  10  and the second frame assembly  20  of the safety gate in the transverse direction can be telescopic. The second shaft rack  22  is mounted on a side edge of the second frame  21  adjacent to the first shaft rack  12  in the transverse direction, and has a rack abutting surface  221  formed thereon and facing the first shaft rack  12 . The second shaft  23  is securely mounted on the second shaft rack  22  and is transversely slidable when combined with the first shaft  13 . In the present embodiment, the second shaft  23  is hollow and tubular and has an opening formed through one end of the second shaft  23  facing the second shaft rack  22 . The second shaft  23  is unrotatably mounted around the first shaft  13 . 
     The shaft fixing assembly  40  is mounted around the first shaft  13  and may be securely mounted on the first shaft  13  that has a non-circular section. The shaft fixing assembly  40  has a clamping sleeve  41  and a compression arm  42 . The clamping sleeve  41  has two open sides, an open top, a chamber, two pressing walls  411 , two pressing protrusions  412 , two positioning grooves  413 , two first pivot holes  414  and two second pivot holes  415 . The chamber is defined in the clamping sleeve  41  and communicates with the open sides and the open top. A cross section of the chamber along a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to the transverse direction corresponds to that of the first shaft  13  along the longitudinal direction. The two pressing walls  411  are respectively formed on and protrude upwardly from two top portions of the clamping sleeve  41 . The two pressing protrusions  412  are respectively formed on and protrude outwardly from peripheries of the two pressing walls  411 . The two positioning grooves  413  are respectively formed in the peripheries of the two pressing walls  411 . Each first pivot hole  414  is formed through one end of one of the pressing walls  411  facing the first shaft rack  12  and aligns with the other first pivot hole  414 . One end of the compression arm  42  is pivotally connected to the first pivot holes  414  of the pressing walls  411  and is located above the clamping sleeve  41 . The second pivot holes  415  are respectively formed through two rear top edges of the clamping sleeve  41  beside the open top and align with each other. The compression arm  42  has an open side, an open bottom and a chamber defined in the compression arm  42  and communicating with the open side and the open bottom. Two walls of the compression arm  42  between which the chamber is defined are respectively mounted on the peripheries of the pressing walls  411  when the compression arm  42  is pivoted downwardly to rest on the pressing walls  411 . The compression arm  42  has two positioning ribs  421  respectively formed on and protruding from two opposite inner walls of the compression arm  42  and respectively aligning with the positioning grooves  413 . 
     The stretcher assembly  61  is mounted around the first shaft  13 , the clamping sleeve  41  and the compression arm  42 , and is pivotally connected to the second pivot holes  415  of the clamping sleeve  41 . The stretcher assembly  61  has a top surface  611 , two sidewalls  612 , a plate insert slot  621 , a spring channel  622  and a locating hole  623 . The top surface  611  has a top hole  613  formed through one end of the top surface  611  opposite to the first shaft rack  12 . Each sidewall  612  has a first abutting edge  614 , a second abutting edge  615 , a tooth  616  and a pivot hole  617 . The first abutting edge  614  is intersected by the top surface  611  and the sidewall  612 . The second abutting edge  615  is connected with the first abutting edge  614  and is opposite to the first shaft rack  12 . The tooth  616  is formed on and protrudes from a portion of an inner wall of the sidewall  612  adjacent to the first pivot holes  414 . The two pivot holes  617  are respectively formed through the sidewalls  612 , align with each other, and are pivotally and respectively connected to the second pivot holes  415  of the clamping sleeve  41 . A distance from the pivot hole  617  to the first abutting edge  614  is smaller than that from the pivot hole  617  to the second abutting edge  615 . The plate insert slot  621  is formed in and recessed from an end edge of the top surface  611  opposite to the first shaft rack  12  and communicates with the top hole  613 . The spring channel  622  has a circular cross section and is formed in a top inner wall and a bottom inner wall of the plate insert slot  621 . The locating hole  623  is downwardly formed through an inner wall of the spring channel  622  and is elongated. 
     The anti-pinch assembly  70  is mounted in the stretcher assembly  61  and has a spring  71  and an anti-pinch plate  72 . The spring  71  is mounted in the spring channel  622 , and one end of the spring  71  abuts against an inner wall of the plate insert slot  621  facing the second shaft rack  22 . The anti-pinch plate  72  is mounted in the plate insert slot  621 , has a pin  721  and a locating piece  722 , and one end of the anti-pinch plate  72  opposite to the first shaft rack  12  is located within the top hole  613 . The pin  721  is formed on and transversely protrudes from one end of the anti-pinch plate  72  facing the first shaft rack  12 , and is mounted in the other end of the spring  71 . The locating piece  722  is formed on and protrudes from a bottom of the anti-pinch plate  72  and is mounted within and limited to move within the locating hole  623 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , the contact pads  80  are respectively mounted on the side edge of the first frame  11  on which the first shaft rack  12  is mounted and on the side edge of the second frame  21  away from the second shaft rack  22 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 6  to  9 , when the safety gate is in use, the compression arm  42  and the stretcher assembly  61  stay upright relative to the clamping sleeve  41 . The first frame  11  and the second frame  21  are pulled to move and depart from each other transversely so as to slightly contact the walls as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     The shaft fixing assembly  40  and the stretcher assembly  61  are then moved and the first abutting edge  614  of the stretcher assembly  61  abuts against the rack abutting surface  221  of the second shaft rack  22  as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     The compression arm  42  is pivoted downwardly to cover the pressing walls  411  of the clamping sleeve  41  until the positioning rib  421  of the compression arm  42  engages the positioning groove  413  of the clamping sleeve  41  and the two sidewalls of the compression arm  42  hold and tightly squeeze the pressing protrusions  412  and the pressing walls  411 . Accordingly, the shaft fixing assembly  40  and the first shaft  13  can be mutually fixed in the transverse direction as shown in  FIG. 8 . The mutual engagement between the positioning ribs  421  and the positioning grooves  413  holds the compression arm  42  on the clamping sleeve  41  in place. 
     The stretcher assembly  61  is pivoted downwardly to cover the compression arm  42  until the second abutting edges  615  of the stretcher assembly  61  fully abut against the rack abutting surface  221  of the second shaft rack  22  as shown in  FIG. 9  and the teeth  616  are located under the first shaft  13  so that the first shaft  13  can be held and positioned by the teeth  616 . 
     As the distance between the pivot hole  617  and the first abutting edge  614  is smaller than the distance between the pivot hole  617  and the second abutting edge  615 , such difference in distance allows the stretcher assembly  61  to push the second shaft rack  22  and the second frame  21  away from the first shaft rack until the contact pads  80  of the second frame assembly  20  tightly abut against one of the walls. Meanwhile, as the stretcher assembly  61  is mounted on the shaft fixing assembly  40  and the shaft fixing assembly  40  is fixed on the first shaft  13 , the reaction force exerted on the stretcher assembly  61  drives the first shaft  13  and the first shaft rack  12  to move away from the second shaft rack  22 . Hence, the first frame assembly  10  is pushed to move away from the second frame assembly  20  until the contact pads  80  of the first frame assembly  20  tightly abut against the other wall to complete the mounting of the safety gate. 
     When the safety gate is not in use, the stretcher assembly  61  is pivoted upwardly so that the first abutting edge  614  abuts against the rack abutting surface  221  of the second shaft rack  22 . As the distance between the pivot hole  617  and the first abutting edge  614  is smaller than the distance between the pivot hole  617  and the second abutting edge  615 , the first frame assembly  10  and the second frame assembly  20  do not tightly and respectively abut against the walls, and the safety gate can be removed from the walls and stored elsewhere. When the safety gate is mounted on the same walls again, the first abutting edge  614  of the stretcher assembly  61  only has to abut against the rack abutting surface  221  prior to the mounting process. Then, the stretcher assembly  61  is pivoted downwardly and the contact pads  80  of the first frame assembly  10  and the second frame assembly  20  tightly and respectively abut the walls. As long as the clamping sleeve  41  is not loosened from the first shaft  13 , the safety gate with the same relative distance between the first frame assembly  10  and the second frame assembly  20  can be repeatedly used at an identical mounting premise without requiring the readjustment of the relative distance between the first frame assembly  10  and the second frame assembly  20  at all. 
     When the second abutting edge  615  of the stretcher assembly  61  abuts against the rack abutting surface  221  of the second shaft rack  22 , the top hole  613  faces up and is exposed and the anti-pinch plate  72  of the anti-pinch assembly  70  is located within the top hole  613  to prevent children from inserting their fingers into the top hole  613  and getting injured. When the first abutting edge  614  of the stretcher assembly  61  abuts against the rack abutting surface  221 , the anti-pinch plate  72  gradually compresses the spring  71  for being propped by the first shaft  13  and empties out the top hole  613  so that the top hole  613  is available to receive the first shaft  13  and the stretcher assembly  61  can be pivoted as intended without being blocked by the first shaft  13 . 
     Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.