Patent Publication Number: US-2007113376-A1

Title: Magnetic door holder door stop and method of installation

Description:
STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTION MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT  
      This application is a Continuation-In-Part of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/660,088 and claims prior to U.S. Provisional Application for Patent 60/408,980, filed Sep. 09, 2002, with title, “Magnetic Door Holder Door Stop” which is incorporated by reference. Applicant claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Par. 119(e)(i). 
    
    
     CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      None  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates generally to door holder door stop which provides a retaining means to stop the door in an open position when the door is opened. More specifically, the invention concerns a door holder and stop that uses magnetic force to hold the door in an open position.  
      2. Brief Description of Prior Art  
      The present invention relates to an apparatus primarily associated with the interior door of a dwelling. When an interior door is placed in the open position, the door may not remain open as desired, and swing partially or completely closed. This problem may be attributed for example, to door alignment, dwelling settlement, or a wind force passing through the dwelling.  
      Previously, a door was held in an open position by a wedge forced between the bottom of the door and the floor. Another prior art solution to the problem was a hook-and-eye hardware apparatus. Prior art door holders and door stops further disclose both floor and wall mounted door stopping and retaining devices that require various attachments that are recessed into, or project substantially from a door, that are complicated to both install and align in order to function properly. In addition, these devices are expensive to manufacture.  
      Such prior art devices have a plurality of moving parts which can eventually wear and hinder proper operation, require periodic maintenance, and additional expense of replacement. These prior art devices being too expensive for the intended purpose of simply holding the door in an open position.  
      There are likewise prior art devices that incorporate magnetic force, as does the present invention. These devices disclose both floor and wall mounted door stops and holders. Again, these devices include numerous and intricate fitting pads, which require specialized machinery to produce and assemble. These devices being overly complex and therefore, expensive to manufacture.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 2,496,691 to Berry, U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,236 to Lowinski, U.S. Pat. No. 3,100,664 to Duval, U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,453 to Stephens, U.S. Pat. No. 3,244,443 to Rogers, U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,370 to Greytok, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,557 to Centofante includes moving pads that have wearing and loosening characteristics which require periodic maintenance and replacement. Further, these devices are relatively difficult and expensive to manufacture because of their complex shapes and plurality of parts.  
      As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome shortcomings of the prior art.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates generally to a door holder door stop which provides a retaining means to stop the door in an open position when the door is opened, and more particularly, a door holder and stop that uses magnetic force to hold the door in an open position adjacent an interior wall. The door holder door stop of the present invention includes an elongated arm having a first end and a second end. A screw is disposed at the second end, the screw to fixedly secure the arm to the wall. A magnetic surface is disposed on a magnetic head, the magnetic head attached at the first end of the arm. The door holder door stop further includes a metal plate having a first side and a second side. The second side having an adhesive surface to fixedly secure the plate to the door. When the door is opened and moved to towards the wall, the first side of the metal plate is attracted to the metal surface of the arm, and therefore the door is retained in the open position.  
      During installation, the metal plate can be magnetically attached to the door stop first and then the door can be swung into the plate such that the plate will be adhesively attached to the surface of the door in alignment with the door stop without the use of tools, measurements or marking. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the door holder door stop of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the door holder door stop of  FIG. 1  installed in a door and a wall.  
       FIG. 3  shows a view of the door stop holder during installation.  
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       FIGS. 1-2  illustrate a preferred embodiment of a door holder door stop  10  made in accordance with the present invention. The door holder door stop  10  used to secure an interior door  100  in an open position adjacent an interior wall  200 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , the door holder door stop  10  includes an elongated arm  20 , the arm  20  generally sized and shaped to door stop arms known in the art. The elongated arm  20  has a first end  25  and a second end  27 . A screw  30  is disposed at the second end  27  of the elongated arm  20 , the screw  30  is an elongated adjustment member to fixedly secure the arm  20  to the wall  200  ( see  FIG. 2 ). A magnetic surface  40  is disposed on a magnetic head  42 , the magnetic head  42  attached at the first end  25  of the arm  20 . In the preferred embodiment, the magnetic surface  40  and magnetic head  42  each having a cylindrical shape and each having a circumference in alignment with the circumference of the first end  25  of the arm.  
      The door holder door stop further includes a metal plate  50  having a first side  52  and a second side  55 . The second side  55  having an adhesive surface  57  to fixedly secure the plate  50  to the door  100  (see  FIG. 2 ). In the preferred embodiment, the adhesive surface  57  is a two-sided tape known in the art. Further, it is preferred that the metal plate  50  have a rectangular configuration.  
      Referring to  FIG. 2 , the metal plate  50  is attached to the door  100  as described above, and the elongated arm  20  is attached to the wall  200  as described above with the magnetic head  42  longitudinally extending from the surface of the wall  200 . When the door  100  is opened and moved towards the wall  200 , the first side  52  of the metal plate  50  is attracted to the magnetic surface  40  of the arm  20 . The magnetic head  42  having the magnetic surface  40  magnetizes the metal plate  50  so that the plate has a magnetic force. In the preferred embodiment, the magnetic surface  40  and the metal plate  50  have a flat surface, so that the magnetic force acts on the surface evenly, providing a better hold.  
      When the magnetic surface  40  is brought into contact with the first side  52  of the metal plate  50 , the magnetic force pulls the metal plate  50  to the magnetic surface  40  of the arm  20  and effectively retains the plate  50  to the magnetic surface  40 . This magnetic attraction holds the plate  50  to the magnetic surface  40 , and therefore retaining the door  100  in the open position.  
      The magnetic hold is broken by a pull of the door  100  thereby effectively separating the metal plate  50  from the arm  20 , allowing the door  100  to be closed.  
      The process of installation can be understood from  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In a first position in  FIG. 3 , the metal plate  50  is first magnetically attached to the magnetic surface  40  with the metal plate  50  and door stop  10  in alignment along center lines  31  as seen in  FIG. 3  with a gap between the door surface  101  and the plate  50 . This can be done visually without tools or measurement. The door  100  can then be swung gently against the stop  10  with the metal plate  50  aligned in a second position illustrated in  FIG. 2 . This allows the adhesive surface  57  to stick to the surface of the door  100  such that the metal plate  50  is mounted to the door in exact alignment with the door stop  10  without the need for marking, measuring or awkward holding. The door  100  can then be swung and the plate  50  will be adhesively attached to the door  100  in a third position shown in phantom lines in  FIG. 3 .  
      The embodiment depicted in the drawing is intended to be merely exemplary, and is not intended to depict all possible shapes for a door holder door stop of the present invention. Rather, the magnetic head  42  having the magnetic surface  40  thereon, and the metal plate  50  can be of any shape having mating components as described herein.  
      Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention.  
      Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims in the formal application and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.