Patent Publication Number: US-11021899-B1

Title: Hinge lock

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is in the field of security hardware including doors and windows. 
     2. Discussion of the State of the Art 
     Closures, such as doors and windows, generally are confined to two types, sliding and hinge wall plates. In the hinge wall plate type closures a hinge system connects a fixed frame and a hinge plate connected to a wall panel. The hinge system generally consists of two or three hinges and sometimes more. In order to lock the window or door a latch or doorknob or a bolt is installed between the wall panel and the fixed frame. A second layer of protection may be desired as locks can be picked, or fail. In some cases, especially on doors that are interior to a building, such as bedroom doors, the knobs or latches do not have a locking feature. At times there may be a need for the people inside a room to stop entry into the room. Generally, this is accomplished by placing objects, for example a wedge at the bottom of the door, which may be pushed away. But these methods are not practical or reliable. 
     Therefore, what is clearly needed is a security device that may be easily implemented without using tools or additional hardware that solves the above limitations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The problem stated above needs a simple solution. The inventor therefore considered a functional tool to provide a reliable door locking device that is easy to use. Accordingly, in an embodiment of the present invention a hinge lock may be provided comprising an rectangular elongate body having dimensions including a height, width and depth formed by a rear planar rectangular wall joining two opposing planar rectangular walls along opposing long edges and a top enclosed end. In this embodiment, an open front channel and an open bottom end may be formed by the joined planar walls and the top, thereby enabling the elongate body to be slid into position over a pivot portion connecting two wall plates of a closed hinge assembly. 
     One embodiment includes an inner volume formed within the elongate body having an inner curved top engaging with a top end of a hinge. One embodiment provides that the open front channel has may include a channel width less than the width. In this embodiment, the channel width is formed by a fourth and fifth wall that may extend orthogonally from a front elongate edges of the two opposing walls. The lock secures a hinge in place by a width of the channel just engaging two wall plates forming the pivotable portion of the hinge, thereby holding the pivotable portion of the hinge assembly in a closed position securing a door or window, for example. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a closure system in a partially open position. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the hinge assembly. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a closure system in a fully closed position. 
         FIG. 4A  is an elevation view of the hinge lock. 
         FIG. 4B  is a top view of the hinge lock. 
         FIG. 4C  is a bottom view of the hinge lock. 
         FIG. 4D  is a side view of the hinge lock. 
         FIG. 4E  is a perspective view of the hinge lock. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a closure system in a fully closed position with the hinge lock installed. 
         FIG. 6  shows orthogonal views of the hinge lock. 
         FIG. 7  is an elevation view of a closed door with the hinge lock installed. 
         FIG. 8  is a section view through A-A of  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention provides a lock at the hinge assembly of a closure system  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . The door, window or other hinged apparatus, partially shown, comprises a fixed frame  11  and a door  12  pivotably attached through a hinge assembly  20 . The hinge assembly comprises two hinge plates  21  and  22  rotatably attached through an axis pin  23  inserted through a cylindrical portion  24  formed by the two hinge plates  21  and  22  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the closure assembly  10  in a closed position with hinge plate  22  attached by any known means to the fixed frame  11  and hinge plate  21  is attached to the door  12  in a same manner. The hinge is oriented such that the cylindrical portion  24  of the hinge assembly is out and away from the inside surface of the frame  11  and the door  12 . When the door is closed the cylindrical portion  24  of the hinge assembly is accessible from the inside of a given room or space. 
       FIG. 4A  is a front view of hinge lock  30 .  FIG. 4B  shows a top view of the hinge lock and  FIG. 4C  shows an open bottom view. A side view is shown in  FIG. 4D .  FIG. 4E  is a perspective view showing an inner volume formed by planar inner walls joined at the top of the device forming an inner radius extending to the outer planar walls and a planar outer top. In this embodiment the top is planar at the outer top and includes a thickness enabling the inner radius. Hinge lock  30  may be typically made with a hard and strong material such as hardened steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, boron alloy steel, boron carbide and molybdenum alloy steel. The hinge lock&#39;s front face of  FIG. 4A  has a formed slot centered on the front face along its length. An inner volume, along with the slot is enabled to accept both hinge plates  21  and  22  when the closure assembly is in a closed position, thereby holding the hinge assembly in a closed position. 
     The lock can be slid up and down, as indicated by the directional arrow, over the cylindrical part  24  and hinge plates of the hinge assembly  20  as shown in  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 6  shows the hinge lock in a locked position with the top of the hinge lock closed, it rests on a top of the cylindrical portion  24 . The only way that the hinge lock can be released from the cylindrical portion  24  is by sliding it upwards. 
       FIG. 7 . shows an elevation view of the door assembly with the hinge lock  30  installed over the hinge assembly  20 . Users realize the aesthetic advantage of using hinge lock  30  which is easily placed over hinge assemblies when one enters a room and shuts the door, thereby providing added security. 
       FIG. 8 . is a scaled up view of section A-A of  FIG. 7 . The hinge lock  30  is closely encompassing and may be adjacent to the cylindrical portion  24  of the hinge assembly with a clearance C, the gap between the hinge lock  30  and the hinge wall plates  21  and  22  may be as small as possible. In one embodiment, there may be no gap C. This will keep the hinge wall plates  21  and  22  close together, or adjacent, thereby preventing the door from opening. One with skill in the art understands that hinges come in different sizes and may be used in both residential and commercial construction. Hinge lock  30  may therefore be manufactured in like sizes to fit a specific hinge or a variety of hinges. 
     It will be apparent to the skilled person that the implementations illustrated and described in this application are exemplary only, and not limiting to the scope of the invention. There are many variations that may be made in the examples described, all within the scope of the invention. For example, when the door  12  is forced opened while the hinge lock is in place the force is exerted on the screws that fasten the hinge wall plates  22  to the frame  11  in a direction perpendicularly away from the engagement face of the frame  11 . In this situation, the side face of the hinge lock  30  towards the frame may be thickened significantly. This extension may shift the fulcrum, the contact point of the hinge lock  30  on the face of the frame  11 , away from the hinge assembly  20  on the surface of the frame whereby the forces on the screws will be more of a shear force rather than a pull out force. 
     As is clearly seen in  FIGS. 4A, 4E and 8 , a thickness (T) at the top end wall of lock  30 , from an inner surface of the curve in the radial direction to the corners defined by intersection of the outer surface of the upper end wall and the outer surface of the opposing planar rectangular walls, is greater than a thickness the rear wall. A thickness of the rear wall is greater than a thickness of the two opposing side walls, and a thickness of the two opposing side walls is greater than a thickness of the front walls forming the channel or slot. 
     There are many other alterations that might be made within the scope of the invention, and the invention may be practiced incorporating any or all of the examples described, singly or in combination. The invention is limited only by the scope of the claims that follow.