Patent Publication Number: US-2007096481-A1

Title: Door retaining device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a door retaining device, and more particularly to a door retaining device for releaseably attaching or anchoring or positioning a door panel to a wall member, and having a structure for allowing the door panel to be easily anchored or positioned to the wall member and to be easily disengaged or released from the wall member without bending down the users&#39; bodies and without hand contacting or engaging with latches and hook members.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      Typical door panels are required to be attached or anchored or positioned or retained to a wall member with various kinds of retaining or locking or latching devices, in order to retain and to position the door panels at an open position relative to the wall member.  
      For example, the typical retaining or locking or latching devices may comprise a magnet attached to the door panel, and a magnetic attractable member attached to the wall member, for engaging with or for acting with the magnet that is attached to the door panel, and for releaseably retaining or locking or latching the door panels to the wall member at the open position.  
      However, the magnets and the magnetic attractable members may be become failure particularly in the wet or humidity environment in such as the bathrooms. In addition, the door panels may not be stably retained or locked or latched to the wall member with the magnets and the magnetic attractable members, and may have a good chance to be released or disengaged from the wall member inadvertently.  
      The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional door retaining devices.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a door retaining device for releaseably attaching or anchoring or positioning a door panel to a wall member, and having a structure for allowing the door panel to be easily anchored or positioned to the wall member and to be easily disengaged or released from the wall member.  
      The other objective of the present invention is to provide a door retaining device for releaseably attaching or anchoring or positioning the door panel to the wall member without bending down their bodies to hook or to engage the latch with the hook member or without hand contacting or engaging with the latch.  
      In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a door retaining device comprising a hook member, a housing, a latch rotatably engaged and attached to the housing, and a rotating device for rotating the latch relative to the housing to actuate the latch to selectively engage with the hook member and to stably anchor and secure the hook member to the housing when the hook member is moved toward and depressed against the housing, or to selectively disengage the latch from the hook member and to position the latch in disengagement from the hook member when the hook member is moved toward and depressed against the housing again, such that the latch may be easily actuated to engage with the hook member and to stably anchor and secure the hook member to the housing without hand contacting or engaging with the latch, such that the users are not required to bend down their bodies and then to hook or to engage the latch with the hook member by themselves.  
      The rotating device includes a stem slidably received in the housing and coupled to the latch for rotating the latch relative to the housing when the stem is slid and moved relative to the housing. The latch includes a cam member provided thereon and rotatably coupled to the stem for allowing the latch to be rotated relative to the housing by the stem. The stem includes a coupler for rotatably receiving the cam member of the latch and thus for allowing the cam member to be rotatably coupled to the stem.  
      The rotating device includes device for biasing the stem to slide and to move relative to the housing and to selectively actuate the latch to engage with the hook member. The housing includes at least one partition provided therein and having a channel formed therein to slidably receive the stem therein. The housing includes a groove formed therein, and the latch includes a shaft rotatably engaged in the groove of the housing for rotatably attaching and securing the latch to the housing.  
      The rotating device includes a shank slidably received in the housing and having at least one actuator extended therefrom, and a control device rotatably engaged onto the stem and having at least one protrusion provided thereon to form at least one slit and at least one seat therein, and the housing includes at least one rib provided therein to selectively engage with the either the slit or the seat of the control device.  
      The protrusion of the control device includes an inclined surface formed thereon for slidably engaging with the actuator of the shank and for allowing the- control device to be rotated relative to the housing and the stem by the shank. The shank includes an end cap attached thereto for engaging with the hook member. The shank includes a bore formed therein and the end cap includes a stud extended therein and engaged into the bore of the shank to attach the end cap to the shank.  
      The housing includes a first housing member and a second housing member secured together. The housing members of the housing each includes a partition extended therein and engaged with each other to secure the housing members together. The first housing member of the housing includes at least one cavity formed therein and the second housing member includes at least one peg extended therefrom for engaging into the cavity of the first housing member and for anchoring the housing members together.  
      The housing members of the housing include a reduced peripheral shoulder formed therein and a clamping ring engaged onto the reduced peripheral shoulder of the housing to solidly secure the housing members together. The housing includes a plate for securing to an object, and the housing includes a base engaged onto the plate and secured to the plate.  
      Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a door retaining device in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the door retaining device;  
       FIG. 3  is a partial rear perspective view of the door retaining device;  
       FIG. 4  is an end view illustrating a control device of the door retaining device;  
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of the control device of the door retaining device;  
       FIG. 6  is a rear perspective view illustrating an end cap of the door retaining device;  
       FIG. 7  is a partial plan view illustrating the operation of the door retaining device;  
       FIGS. 8 and 9  are partial plan views similar to  FIG. 7 , illustrating the operation of the door retaining device;  
       FIG. 10  is an enlarged partial cross sectional view of the door retaining device, taken along lines  10 - 10  of  FIG. 7 ; and  
       FIGS. 11 and 12  are enlarged partial cross sectional views similar to  FIG. 10 , illustrating the operation of the door retaining device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIGS. 1 and 7 - 9 , a door retaining device in accordance with the present invention comprises a hook member  10  including a seat  11  for securing to an object  80 , such as a wall member  8  or a door panel  80  ( FIGS. 7-9 ) with such as latches or fasteners (not shown), and a housing  30  for securing to the other object  8  such as the door panel  80  or the wall member  8  with such as latches or fasteners  81  ( FIGS. 1, 3 ,  7 ). For example, a plate  20  includes one or more holes  21  formed therein for receiving the fasteners  81  which may secure the plate  20  to the door panel  80  or the wall member  8 . The plate  20  includes a lip  22  formed or provided on the upper portion thereof, and a tongue  23  extended downwardly therefrom.  
      The housing  30  may include two housing members  31 ,  32  secured together, and may include an enlarged base  33  for engaging onto the plate  20 , and includes an anchor flap  34  extended into one of the housing members or the lower housing member  32  ( FIGS. 3, 7 ) for engaging with the tongue  23  of the plate  20 , and includes a screw hole  35  formed in the other or the upper housing member  31  ( FIG. 1 ) for receiving a fastener or securing member  88  which may be threaded into the base  33  of the housing members  32  or of the housing  30  and which may be engaged with the lip  22  of the plate  20 , for solidly securing the housing  30  to the plate  20  and thus to the door panel  80  or the wall member  8 .  
      The lower housing member  32  may include one or more cavities  36  formed therein ( FIG. 1 ), and the upper housing member  31  may include one or more pegs  37  extended therefrom for engaging into the corresponding cavities  36  of the lower housing member  32  and for anchoring the housing members  31 ,  32  together and for preventing the housing members  31 ,  32  from being moved or shifted relative to each other. The housing members  31 ,  32  each further includes a partition  38  extended therein and the partitions  38  may be engaged with each other ( FIG. 7 ) and secured together with such as fasteners  90  ( FIG. 1 ) for further solidly securing the housing members  31 ,  32  together.  
      One or both of the partitions  38  may include a channel  39  formed therein and aligned with each other. The housing  30  includes a reduced neck portion or peripheral shoulder  40  formed in the front portion thereof, and a retaining or clamping ring  41  is engaged onto the reduced neck portion or peripheral shoulder  40  of the housing  30  ( FIGS. 10-12 ) for further solidly securing the housing members  31 ,  32  together. The housing  30  includes a chamber  42  formed in the middle portion thereof and a relatively reduced passage  43  formed in the front portion thereof, and includes one or more, such as two guide ribs  44  extended in such as the passage  43  thereof ( FIGS. 1 and 7 - 9 ), and includes a groove  45  laterally formed therein ( FIGS. 1-2  and  10 - 12 ).  
      A stem  50  is slidably received in the chamber  42  of the housing  30  and includes a rear portion  51  slidably received or engaged in the channel  39  of the partitions  38  of the housing  30  and may include a front portion  52 , and may include a coupler  53  formed or provided thereon. A ring-shaped latch  54  includes a shaft  55  rotatably engaged in the groove  45  of the housing  30  for rotatably attaching or securing the latch  54  to the housing  30 , and includes a bent or cam member  56  provided thereon and rotatably engaged into or with the coupler  53  of the stem  50  for allowing the latch  54  to be rotated relative to the housing  30  by the stem  50 .  
      For example, the latch  54  may be rotated relative to the housing  30  and disengaged from the hook member  10  ( FIGS. 7, 8 ) when the stem  50  is slid or moved away from the hook member  10  or moved toward the plate  20  (FIGS.  10 ,  11 ); and may also be rotated relative to the housing  30  to engage with the hook member  10  ( FIG. 9 ) when the stem  50  is slid or moved toward the hook member  10  or moved away from the plate  20  ( FIG. 12 ). A spring member  57  may be engaged onto the stem  50  and engaged with the coupler  53  of the stem  50  and the partitions  38  of the housing  30 , for biasing the stem  50  to actuate the latch  54  to engage with the hook member  10  ( FIG. 9 ).  
      A shank  60  is slidably received in the passage  43  of the housing  30  and includes an enlarged head  61  provided or extended out of the housing  30  and engageable with the housing  30  for limiting the shank  60  to slide or to move relative to the housing  30  and for preventing the shank  60  from being completely engaged into the housing  30 , and includes one or more blocks or actuators  62  and one or more slots  63  formed therein and slidably engaging with the guide ribs  44  of the housing  30 , for guiding the shank  60  to slide or to move relative to the housing  30  and for preventing the shank  60  from being rotated relative to the housing  30 .  
      As shown in FIGS.  1 ,  4 - 5  and  10 - 12 , a control device  70  includes a bore  71  formed therein for rotatably and slidably engaged onto the front portion  52  of the stem  50  and includes one or more protrusions  72  formed on the outer peripheral portion thereof and one or more slits  73  and one or more seats  75  alternatively formed in the outer peripheral portion thereof and defined between or by the protrusions  72  for slidably engaging with the guide ribs  44  of the housing  30  alternatively. Each of the protrusions  72  preferably includes an inclined surface  74  formed thereon for slidably engaging with the actuators  62  of the shank  60  ( FIGS. 10-12 ), and for allowing the control device  70  to be rotated relative to the housing  30  and the stem  50  by the shank  60 .  
      It is to be noted that the slits  73  of the control device  70  are opened or formed through the protrusions  72  to allow the guide ribs  44  of the housing  30  to be completely moved or engaged through the slits  73  of the control device  70  ( FIG. 9 ), and to allow the stem  50  to be biased by the spring member  57  to actuate the latch  54  to engage with the hook member  10 . On the contrary, the seats  75  of the control device  70  may be engaged with and seated on the guide ribs  44  of the housing  30  ( FIGS. 7, 8 ) to prevent the guide ribs  44  of the housing  30  from completely moving or engaging through the slits  73  of the control device  70 , and thus to prevent the stem  50  from being biased by the spring member  57  to actuate the latch  54  to engage with the hook member  10 , and in order to retain or to position the latch  54  in disengagement from the hook member  10  and the door panel  80 .  
      An end cap  66  may further be provided and slidably engaged onto the retaining or clamping ring  41  and/or the front portion of the housing  30 , and includes a stud  67  extended therein ( FIG. 6 ) and engaged into a bore  64  of the shank  60  ( FIGS. 10-12 ) to allow the end cap  66  to be moved in concert with the shank  60 . The end cap  66  is preferably made of soft or rubber or resilient materials for selectively engaging with the hook member  10  ( FIG. 8 ) and for allowing the shank  60  and thus the stem  50  to be moved into the housing  30  against the spring member  57 . The shank  60  may also be directly engaged with the hook member  10  without attaching the end cap  66 .  
      In operation, as shown in  FIG. 7 , at the beginning, the seats  75  of the control device  70  may be engaged with and seated on the guide ribs  44  of the housing  30  to prevent the guide ribs  44  of the housing  30  from completely moving or engaging through the slits  73  of the control device  70 , and thus to prevent the stem  50  from being biased by the spring member  57  to actuate the latch  54  to engage with the hook member  10 , and to retain or to position the latch  54  in disengagement from the hook member  10 , and thus to allow the hook member  10  and/or the door panel  80  to be moved toward and to engage with the end cap  66  in order to move the shank  60  and the stem  50  into the housing  30  against the spring member  57 .  
      When the shank  60  is forced to move into the housing  30 , the actuators  62  of the shank  60  may be slidably engaged with the inclined surfaces  74  of the protrusions  72  of the control device  70  in order to rotate the control device  70  relative to the housing  30  and the stem  50 , and thus to allow the alternate slit  73  of the control device  70  to be aligned with the guide ribs  44  of the housing  30  and to allow the guide ribs  44  to be completely moved or engaged through the slits  73  of the control device  70  and thus to allow the stem  50  to be biased by the spring member  57  to actuate the latch  54  to engage with the hook member  10  ( FIG. 9 ), such that the door panel  80  may be stably anchored and secured or coupled to the wall member  8 .  
      When the door panel  80  is moved toward and to engage with the end cap  66  again, the shank  60  and the stem  50  may also be moved into the housing  30  against the spring member  57 , the actuators  62  of the shank  60  may also be slidably engaged with the inclined surfaces  74  of the protrusions  72  of the control device  70  to rotate the control device  70  relative to the housing  30  and the stem  50 , and thus to allow the alternate seat  72  of the control device  70  to be aligned with and to be engaged with and seated on the guide ribs  44  of the housing  30 , and to prevent the guide ribs  44  of the housing  30  from completely moving or engaging through the slits  73  of the control device  70 , and thus to prevent the stem  50  from being biased by the spring member  57  to actuate the latch  54  to engage with the hook member  10 , and to retain or to position the latch  54  in disengagement from the hook member  10  again.  
      Accordingly, in operation, the user is simply required to move the door panel  80  toward the wall member  8  and to force or depress the hook member  10  against the end cap  66  and the shank  60  and the stem  50  and the spring member  57  and thus to actuate the latch  54  to engage with the hook member  10  ( FIG. 9 ) and to allow the door panel  80  to be stably anchored and secured or coupled to the wall member  8 . The user is also simply required to move the door panel  80  toward the wall member  8  and to force or depress the hook member  10  against the end cap  66  and the shank  60  and the stem  50  and the spring member  57  again, in order to actuate the latch  54  to be disengaged from the hook member  10  ( FIG. 9 ), such that the door panel  80  may be easily and readily and quickly anchored and secured to or disengaged from the wall member  8 .  
      The stem  50  and/or the spring member  57  and/or the shank  60  and/or the control device  70  may thus be formed or acted as a rotating or actuating means or device for selectively rotating the latch  54  relative to the housing to actuate the latch  54  to engage with the hook member  10  and thus to stably anchor and secure or couple the hook member  10  and thus the door panel  80  to the housing  30  and the wall member  8  when the hook member  10  is moved toward and depressed against the housing  30 , or to be disengaged from the hook member  10  and to retain or to position the latch  54  in disengagement from the hook member  10  when the hook member  10  is moved toward and depressed against the housing  30  again.  
      Accordingly, the door retaining device in accordance with the present invention may be provided for releasably attaching or anchoring or positioning a door panel to a wall member, and having a structure for allowing the door panel to be easily anchored or positioned to the wall member and to be easily disengaged or released from the wall member without bending down the users&#39; bodies and without hand contacting or engaging with latches and hook members.  
      Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.