Patent Publication Number: US-6698807-B1

Title: Latch guard

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This present invention relates to the field of door anti-latch devices, and more particularly to door anti-latch devices insertable into the door latch opening in a door jamb that are easily installable and easily removable. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Door latch anti-locking devices are well known in the art. Typical door latch anti-locking devices are not easily installable and easily removable. As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,082,790, and 2,726,892, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse door latch anti-locking devices. U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,790, titled “Door Anti-Locking Device”, is an invention designed to provide a plate for covering a door striker plate on a door jamb to prevent a door from latching, but the invention is distinguished from the present invention by the lack of easy removability. The plate is screwed permanently to the door latch area. By contrast, the present invention is easily removable from a door striker plate after use. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 2,726,892, titled “Safety Lock Clip”, is also an invention designed to serve as an anti-latch device for a door latch, but it also is not easily removable, and is screwed into place. 
     While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical easily installable and easily removable device insertable into the door latch opening in a door jamb. As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved door latch guard, and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly stated, the present invention provides a door latch guard comprised of a rigid rectangular piece and a rigid C-shaped piece. The center of the C-shaped piece is attached to the center of the rectangular piece. The C-shaped piece fits securely into the door latch opening in a door jamb, thereby preventing a door latch from latching the door. The rectangular piece serves as a backing to the C-shaped piece, and the rectangular piece lies flat against a door jamb when the latch -guard is installed in a door latch opening in a door jamb. Preventing a door from latching allows groups such as maintenance personnel to keep a door from latching. This allow the maintenance personnel to easily enter and exit the door when frequent trips through the door are necessary. 
     The door latch guard may be made form material such as hose, plastic pipe, or plastic cup. Various methods may be used to manufacture the door latch guard, such as using a pop rivet to secure the C-shaped piece to the rectangular backing piece, or to create the entire door latch guard of a single molded plastic piece. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     These and other attributes of the invention will become more clear upon a thorough study of the following description of the best mode for carrying out the invention, particularly when reviewed in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention inserted into a door latch opening in a door jamb; 
     FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the present invention displayed adjacent a door latch opening in a door jamb; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the present invention immediately prior to being inserted into a door latch opening in a door jamb; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the present invention with the C-shaped piece partially inserted into the door latch opening in a door jamb; and 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the present invention completely installed into the door latch opening in a door jamb. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST MODE 
     As can be seen by reference to the drawings, and particular to FIG. 1, the latch guard that forms the basis of the present invention is designated generally by the reference number  10 . As seen in FIG. 2, the latch guard contains a rectangular plate  20 , and a C-shaped piece  30  attached to the rectangular plate  20  at the back of the C-shaped piece  32 . 
     The door latch guard  10  may be made from, for example, hose, plastic pipe, or plastic cup. In one embodiment, the C-shaped piece  30  of the door latch guard  10  is made from 1½ inch diameter plastic pipe, is ½ inch wide, and the rectangular piece  20  is 0.03 inches thick and 1¼ inches wide. The C-shaped piece  30  is secured to the rectangular piece  20  by, for example, a pop rivet. The latch guard  10  may also be formed from a single molded plastic piece. 
     In use, as seen in FIG. 3, the latch guard  10  is placed adjacent to a striker plate  42  in a door jamb  40 . As seen in FIG. 4, the C-shaped piece  30  is then placed into the opening  44  in the door jamb  40 . When the C-shaped piece  30  is entered into the door jamb  40 , the C-shaped piece  30  compresses inwardly. Then, as seen in FIG. 5, the C-shaped piece  30  expands into place within the opening  44  in the door jamb  40 . The latch guard  10  is locked into place, and will remain in the door jamb  40  until the user desires to remove the latch guard  10 . The latch guard  10  is useful to, for example, maintenance personnel who need to make multiple trips into a room, and must carry supplies. The latch guard  10  allows a door  50  to swing freely without the need to open the door  50  with the door knob  52 . 
     The user removes the latch guard  10  by the reverse of the process above used to install the latch guard  10 . As seen in FIG. 5, the latch guard  10  is initially in the installed position. The user pulls outwardly on the latch guard  10  until the C-shaped piece  30  compresses inwardly (FIG.  4 ). Further pulling on the latch guard  10  results in the latch guard  10  being completely removed from the opening  44  in the door jamb  40 , as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     Although only an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims.