Abstract:
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a doorjam is provided, the doorjam comprising a main body having a gap therethrough and a handle portion to facilitate grasping the doorjam. The gap in the main body may be configured to slidably engage a handle of a door, and the main body may have a width sufficient to contact the door and a stationary member.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/614,851 filed on Sep. 30, 2004, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     Preferred aspects of the present invention relate to a doorjam. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are particularly useful for preventing an outwardly swinging door to be opened from the outside using a simple doorjam mechanism.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Doorjams are typically inserted at the bottom of inwardly swinging doors. They are used to prevent these doors from opening and function by wedging between the bottom of the door and the floor. Typically, such doorjams are made of relatively pliable materials, such as rubbers, woods, plastics, etc. When someone attempts to open the door from the outside, the friction between the floor and the doorjam prevents the door from opening.  
         [0006]     Unfortunately, such a doorjam design clearly does not work to prevent an outwardly swinging door from swinging outwardly. In many typical office settings, the doors open outwardly, and there is therefore no way to simply and temporarily block the opening of the door by use of a removable doorjam, such as those in the prior art. Instead, the door must be locked or blocked with a more expensive and complicated device. Thus, reception personnel in office buildings may be at risk of being assaulted, robbed, solicited, etc.  
         [0007]     It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a doorjam-like article that can simply, effectively and temporarily prevent an outwardly swinging door from opening.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     According to one embodiment of the present invention, a doorjam is provided, the doorjam comprising a main body having a gap therethrough. The gap in the main body may be configured to slidably engage a handle of a door, and the main body may have a width sufficient to contact the door and a stationary member. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     The preferred embodiments of this invention, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. These embodiments depict the novel and nonobvious method and doorjam of this invention shown in the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only. The drawings include the following Figures, with like numerals indicating like parts.  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a doorjam in keeping with the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  shows a front view of the doorjam of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a bottom view of the doorjam of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a front view of another embodiment of a doorjam.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of the doorjam of  FIG. 1  in an engaged configuration with a door. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a doorjam that may be used to temporarily block an outwardly swinging door. The doorjam  10  may be used to block a number of differently configured doors, and one embodiment of the doorjam  10  is shown in an engaged configuration with one particular door in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0016]     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3  the doorjam  10  comprises a main body  16 , a first securing portion  13 , a second securing portion  15 , and a gap  14  in the main body  16 . In other embodiments, the doorjam  10  may also include a handle portion  12  to provide some purchase by which a user can more easily grasp the doorjam  10 . The handle portion  12  may have a generally knob shape (as in  FIG. 4 ), a generally rectangular shape, or any other shape that facilitates grasping by a user.  
         [0017]     The gap  14  is preferably configured to fit over a doorknob or handle affixed to a door. In one embodiment, the gap  14  should be precisely sized, such that the doorjam  10  can sit above a handle with the gap  14  facing the ground without the doorjam  10  rotating out of engagement with the handle. Such a configuration is shown in  FIG. 5 . The gap  14  and main body  16  are also preferably configured to fit closely between a surface of a door and a part of the handle of the door that is varying in shape or configuration. Thus, the gap  14  and main body  16  are less likely to move out of blocking engagement with the door by sliding back and forth along the handle.  
         [0018]     In one embodiment, the doorjam  10  comprises a unitary piece of polymer. In other embodiments, the doorjam  10  may be manufactured from a variety of materials and need not be formed from the same material throughout. For example, the handle portion may be made of a different material to enhance the doorjam&#39;s aesthetic appeal.  
         [0019]     In  FIG. 5 , the doorjam  10  of  FIG. 1  is shown in an engaged and blocked configuration with a door  18 . This door  18 , like many office doors, has disposed on the inside a curved handle  20 . The curved handle  20  has a parallel portion  22  running relatively parallel to the plane of the door, and a perpendicular portion  24  that extends from the door  18  at close to a right angle.  
         [0020]     As discussed above, the width of the gap  14  of the doorjam  10  is preferably configured to fit the handle  20  snugly within it. The doorjam  10  is preferably configured such that it fits tightly between a surface  26  of the door  18 , and the parallel portion  22  of the handle  20 . In some embodiments, the first securing portion  13  and the second securing portion  15  are sized such that the door jam  10  fits snugly between the surface  26  and the handle  20 . Preferably, the first securing portion  15  is sized and shaped to contact a portion of the handle  20  and provide a snug fit when the door jam  10  is inserted between the handle  20  and the surface  26 . Therefore, the doorjam  10  is relatively secure on the handle  20 . In some embodiments, the second securing portion  15  abuts a frame portion of a door that extends along the perimeter of the door. The securing portions ( 13 ,  15 ) are not essential, as achieving the snug fit when the main body  16  of the doojam  10  is inserted between the surface  26  of the door  18  and the handle  20  may be achieved in any suitable manner.  
         [0021]     The width of the main body  16  is further configured to extend beyond the surface  26  of the door  18  when the doojam  10  is in an engaged configuration. In a preferred embodiment, the doorjam  10  thereby extends in front of a stationary member  28 . This stationary member  28  may be any of a variety of stationary objects typically found with doors, such as door frames, door supports, split door dividers, etc.  
         [0022]     Since the doorjam  10  abuts this stationary member  28 , the door  18  may not be opened outwardly. As someone pulls from the side of the door opposite the illustrated surface  26 , the doorjam  10  cannot pass by the stationary member  28  and cannot be moved from its position on the handle  20  because it abuts the parallel portion  22  of the handle  20 . Thus, the door  18  cannot be opened unless the doorjam  10  is first removed. Such a doorjam  10  is clearly very simple to operate, and may be used in a variety of environments.  
         [0023]     Although not shown, such a doorjam may be used on a door knob or otherwise configured door handle, as long as it fits around the handle and is wide enough to abut some stationary element. In addition, the doorjam may be configured to engage a wide variety of handles and may be locked by some means about the handle.  
         [0024]     Although the present invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments of the invention including variations in dimensions, configuration and materials will be apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the disclosure herein. In addition, all features discussed in connection with any one embodiment herein can be readily adapted for use in other embodiments herein. The use of different terms or reference numerals for similar features in different embodiments does not imply differences other than those which may be expressly set forth. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to be described solely by reference to the appended claims, and not limited to the preferred embodiments disclosed herein.