Abstract:
The blast and explosion retaining system is for retaining a door to a frame when a blast or explosion separates the door from the frame. The system is a woven fabric material that is flexible and is anchored to the door and to the frame. The system is ideal for use in buildings that have already been built and have been around for a long time, especially those structures that are aesthetically pleasing. The fabric material retains the door to the frame when the blast or explosion near the door separates the door from the frame. Thus, the system prevents the door from becoming a projectile, harming people or damaging property inside the building or structure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to explosion and blast resistant doors, and more specifically to a blast and explosion retaining system for doors that provides resistance to blasts and explosions by retaining the door to the frame, and preventing the door from becoming a projectile. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    In the United States and abroad, the need for greater physical security is evident in most parts of the world. Ever increasing threats of terrorism, breaking and entering, assaults with firearms, etc., have resulted in increasing concern for ways to meet or counter these threats and potentials. While building structures themselves can generally be constructed to withstand such forces, the weak points of such structures are generally the doorways, because blasts or explosions near the doorways will separate a door from a frame of the doorway. Thus, causing the door to act as a projectile. 
         [0005]    Bomb blasts and explosions are unfortunately a relatively common occurrence, whether in the context of actual warfare or otherwise. Little can be done to prevent damage to persons and objects that suffer a direct hit from the blast or explosion. However, a significant fraction of the people and property, that are hurt or damaged during a bomb blast, do not suffer from a direct hit. Rather, these people are hurt or property is damaged by doors that are thrust inward by the force of the explosion after being broken from the hinges and sent as a projectile into the building. 
         [0006]    An obvious solution to the problem is to build structures that have strong doors and hinges that are capable of withstanding the forces of any expected blast without the doors breaking from the hinges and becoming projectiles. Currently, if protection from an explosion or bomb blast is wanted, then the solution is to build very heavy doors. In fact, such doors can be made to be sufficiently strong by increasing the thickness of the door and putting large mounted objects to cover the hinges. However, the added weight of these doors makes the doors wear out faster and is often very hard to open. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, such solutions are not always practicable. Use of large heavy doors and blast-proof hinges are expensive and it is not feasible to equip every structure that may be a potential target of a bomb blast with such heavy doors and/or large hinge covers. This is especially true in buildings that have already been built and have been around for a long time. Some are aesthetically pleasing structures, such as those buildings and museums in and around the District of Columbia. Other examples would be petrol chemical plants, DOD buildings, GSA Buildings, U.S. Embassies, Military housing, and Military buildings. Thus, a blast and explosion retaining system for doors solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The blast and explosion retaining system for doors retains a door to a frame after a blast or explosion separates the door from the frame. The system uses a fabric material anchored to the door and to the frame. The fabric material retains the door to the frame when the blast or the explosion near the door separates the door from the frame. The fabric material can be mounted under at least one of the hinges. Alternatively, it can be placed around the hinge and mounted to the door and frame. The fabric material is woven fabric material. The fabric material is folded in the hinge side of a door and frame and mounted with the screws from the hinge. The fabric is very flexible. There is also a slack amount of the material to aid in absorbing the load of the door when it comes off the frame. The fabric material also could be a continuous piece running down the frame. 
         [0009]    These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of a door incorporating a blast and explosion retaining system for doors according to the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic section view through the junction of a door frame and a portion of a door, showing a hinge of a door protected by a blast and explosion retaining system in a first embodiment of the system according to the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic section view similar to  FIG. 2 , showing a second embodiment of the system according to the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic section view similar to  FIG. 2 , showing a third embodiment of the system according to the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic section view similar to  FIG. 2 , showing a fourth embodiment of the system according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0015]    Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]      FIG. 1  generally illustrates a door  10  with a frame  12 . With respect to the door  10  and frame  1   2 , the present invention is a blast and explosion retaining system for such doors. The system is used to keep door  10  from becoming projectile after a blast load or explosion on or near the door  10 . Door  10  can be nearly any type of door. Some doors have no resistance to force from a blast or explosion. Other doors have grades of force resistance. In fact, many doors must meet blast or explosion type standards as set forth by the Department of State Document SD-STD-01.01, Revision G (amended). Additionally, many frames also have been put in place or upgraded that are force resistance as well. 
         [0017]    The present invention can be used on any door whether or not the door meets the performance standards for doors resisting forced entry and ballistic forces. In fact, the present invention is ideal for any door including residential homes and buildings that need protection. The present invention prevents the door  10  from becoming a projectile and injuring people inside the building or home. 
         [0018]    More specifically, if the pressure from an explosion, blast or force is higher than what the door can withstand the door will blow into the building and become a projectile. The present invention is a flexible fabric material that is fitted between the door  10  and the frame  12  and anchored through hinges  14 . Installation merely requires that the hinges  14  have the screws removed and then the flexible fabric material is put in place and the screws are put back into the hinge and into the door  10  and the frame  12 . The present invention will hold the door  10 , allowing it to stay attached to the frame  12 . Thus, if the pressure from the explosion, blast or force is higher than what the door  10  can withstand the door  10  will separate from the frame  12 , but be retained to the frame by the flexible fabric material. 
         [0019]    With reference to  FIGS. 2-5 , a number of different hinges are shown and the flexible fabric is used in different embodiments to fit to the different hinge types. These Figures are diagrammatic section views through the junction of a portion of a door and a door frame, showing the hinge of a door protected by a blast and explosion retaining system for doors according to the present invention in various embodiments of the system. 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the flexible fabric material  20  is placed behind the hinge&#39;s door screws  22 ,  23 , and then run to the middle of the hinge  24 . This extra part or slack material  25  of the flexible fabric material  20  serves as slack to give or act as a shock absorber when the door  10  is separated from the frame  12 . The slack material  25  can be glued in place in order not to notice or disrupt the normal operation of the door  10 . The flexible fabric material  20  is then placed behind the hinge&#39;s frame screws  26 ,  27 . After the fabric material  20  is placed behind the screws  22 ,  23 ,  26 , and  27 , the screws are then put back into place. A wall bolt  28  secures the frame  12 . Thus, anchoring the flexible fabric material  20  to the door  10  and frame  12 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows another embodiment using the flexible fabric material  30 . In this embodiment, the flexible fabric material  30  is again placed under door screws  31 ,  32  of the hinge  34 . However, the flexible fabric material  30  is laid initially at the inside part of the door  10  or closer to the center of the hinge  34 . Once the flexible fabric material  30  is in place under the screw  32 ,  33 , the screws  32 ,  33  are re-inserted, holding the flexible fabric material  30  to the door  10 . 
         [0022]    At this point, the flexible fabric material  30  is laid over the heads of the screws  32 ,  33  and glued in place. Next, the flexible fabric  30  is folded and laid over the heads of screws  36 ,  37  and glued down. This slack material  35  is for the flexible fabric material  30  and a cushion for absorption of the shock when the door  10  separates from the frame  12  during or after the force of the blast or explosion hits the door  10 . The flexible fabric material  30  is then securely anchored to the frame  12  with a screw  38  that is hidden with a decorative cover  39 . 
         [0023]    With respect to  FIG. 4 , a further embodiment of the flexible fabric  40  is shown with another type of hinge  44 . In this embodiment, the flexible fabric material  40  is y-shaped with one leg  41  extending under door screws  42 ,  43  of the hinge  34 . Once the flexible fabric material  40  is in place under the screw  42 ,  43 , the screws  42 ,  43  are re-inserted, holding the flexible fabric material  40  to the door  10 . 
         [0024]    At this point, the other leg  45  of the flexible fabric material  40  is laid over the heads of screws  46 ,  47  and glued down. This other leg  45  acts like slack material for the flexible fabric material  40  and a cushion for absorption of the shock when the door  10  separates from the frame  12  during or after the force of the blast or explosion hits the door  10 . The flexible fabric material  30  is then securely anchored to the frame  12  with a screw  48  that is hidden with a cover  49 . 
         [0025]    In reference to  FIG. 5 , rather than connecting flexible fabric material  50  with the hinge  54 , the flexible fabric  50  can also be used as a surface mount. Here the flexible fabric material  50  is attached by screw  52  to the door  10  and by screw  56  to the frame  12 . A decorative piece  58 ,  59  can been used to hide the screws  52 ,  56  and further secure the flexible fabric  50 . 
         [0026]    Of course, the flexible fabric material  20 ,  30 ,  40 , and  50  could also be a continuance piece running down the frame  12 . In most cases the frame  12  will need to be reinforced to carry the applied load or the door  10 . This could be by adding more anchors or reinforcing the structural with steel or aluminum. 
         [0027]    The flexible fabric material  20 ,  30 ,  40 , and  50  allow the door  10  to operate normally. The flexible fabric material  20 ,  30 ,  40 , and  50  can fold in the hinge side of the door  10  and frame  12  because it is very flexible. The strength of any frame used is not as important. This means regular frames can be used with the flexible fabric material  20 ,  30 ,  40 , and  50  compared to the type of heavy and/or the reinforced frames normally used for blast-proof buildings. With the use of regular frames, the doors can look more aesthetically pleasing and thus normal that is currently the case for bombproof type buildings. 
         [0028]    The system allows one to take doors from almost any manufacture and make an explosion or bomb blast resistant door opening. Doors can be built much lighter and easier to use. This will also help with long lead time trying to buy these doors. Some door manufacture could add a grove into the door or doorframe making this an intricate part of their door. In most cases, the flexible material  20 ,  30 ,  40 , and  50  can be totally concealed. The flexible material  20 ,  30 ,  40 , and  50  could also be sold to door manufactures and or suppliers so they could sell explosion or blast resistant doors by use of this flexible material  20 ,  30 ,  40 , and  50  retaining system. The flexible material  20  is a woven type of material that is currently available such as Kevlar® or even cotton type material. 
         [0029]    It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.