Patent Document

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is entitled to the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/136,404 filed Sep. 3, 2008; such benefit is hereby claimed under 35 USC 119(e) and the content of said application in its entirety and for all purposes is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING 
       [0003]    Not applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    The invention disclosed herein generally relates to the field of door hardware and more specifically to mechanisms for preventing a door or equivalent closure from fully closing by mechanically maintaining at least a small gap along each lateral edge, thereby keeping the door slightly ajar. Described herein are a unique gap-retaining mechanism and its method of use. 
         [0006]    Each year, tens of thousands of children in the United States receive serious injuries when closures accidentally engage their fingers. Sadly, an alarming number of these result in at least partial amputation. Described herein are a device and method of using the unique device embodying novel and non-obvious advancements to address this growing problem. 
         [0007]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0008]    Various alternatives currently exist for maintaining a door or similar closures slightly open or ajar. Over the years a number of names for such anti-closure devices and their assigned functions with respect to doors, gates, windows, drawers and the like have entered the common lexicon. For example, a device for maintaining an open gap might be variously referred to as a check, stop, brace, spacer, hook, prop or simply a “hold-open”. These devices have been developed with a variety of objectives, among these are: avoiding unexpected closure injury to a small child or pet; keeping a closure from unwanted latching or locking; maintaining a closure in open or unlatched state for temporary periods for ventilation, passage or observation; maintaining a door or window to a baby&#39;s nursery or other important space slightly ajar for monitoring purposes. For simplicity and without intention to delimit the present invention, these and similarly purposed devices are herein referred to as door checks. 
         [0009]    Over the years many door checks have been invented and commercialized for purposes such as just described, and many of those inventions have been patented. Examples of patent documents addressing the need for keeping a door ajar include the following. U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,828 to Warden shows door gap retention by way of clamps and inserted panels. U.S. Pat. No. 1,258,856 to Beaudette depicts a nursery door check that slows the door swing and subsequently permits closure with added pressure. U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,906 to Berthane demonstrates a device for retaining doors ajar. The Berthane device features a yoke configured to fit over the top of a door and a bumper that extends therefrom to engage the door&#39;s sill. 
         [0010]    Comaianni&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. D346109 illustrates a door spacer mechanism attached to a door frame and appears to present an arm in two positions: a first position where the arm is extending above a door; a second position where the arm extends downwardly apparently to check a door. Ferrante&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 3,287,050 discloses an adjustable brace fixed to a door jamb and engaging a door edge to maintain the door in fully open position. Ferrante&#39;s brace swings clear to permit closure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,474 granted to Kjellstrom prevents door crushing injuries by providing a check device in the form of a spring biased blocking component attached to a door and articulated to engage the door case to prevent the door&#39;s closure. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,587 to Urschel et al. describes a device for temporarily preventing a door closure upon its first opening; but, upon the door&#39;s reopening, the device permits closure. This device is fairly complex in its number of parts. U.S. Pat. No. 900,621 to Voight shows a mechanism mounted on the upper portion of a door casing and extending to engage the top of a swinging door. Voight&#39;s invention is for holding the door slightly ajar to indicate that a room currently is unoccupied. To disengage the mechanism so that passage is permitted, the door is further opened for passage and then may be fully closed. The Voight arrangement is for indicating room availability and without regard to safety, ventilation and the like. 
         [0012]    Weinberger&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,483 includes a door holding yoke that extends to, and embraces, a portion of the door frame or directly interconnecting to a frame-mounted rail with an engagement bead. U.S. Pat. No. D347,570 was issued to Burge for a resilient door stop element that fits about a door edge to prevent door movement. Donovan&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,685 discloses a sliding leg mounted on a door and arranged to abut a door jamb to keep the door ajar. McLean&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,140 Features a checking element that falls into door-blocking position when the door is opened. 
         [0013]    The record will show that each of the aforementioned patent documents in its entirety was incorporated by reference in the above noted Provisional Patent Application. Upon close review of the patents discussed hereabove, it is apparent that they address similar objectives, but do so through a variety of mechanical constructs substantially different from the present invention. Moreover, none offers the unique configuration and distinct functional advantages afforded by the present invention described and claimed as follows. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The present invention has a principal focus on safety, and is presented as a device designed and configured particularly to prevent accidental injuries to children and pets, though not limited thereto. For example, the described device would be mounted on the closing face of a door. Again, it is important to understand that the term “door” is not intended to limit the invention as to its sole environment of application. Indeed, the invention may have application with respect to closures in any of a variety of applications including, for example: room doorways and entranceways; patio windows/doors; bathroom shower doors, garage side entrances and so forth. Moreover, the present invention may be configured to apply to cabinet doors or drawers, trunk lids, and equivalents thereof. For simplicity and brevity, however, the present invention will be described in the context of a door and doorway environment. 
         [0015]    In typical carpentry jargon, the term “doorstop” is commonly applied to the strip of molding, ranging in width from one inch to several inches. The doorstop usually is recessed or set back from the door frame facing by a distance roughly equal to the door thickness and provides a limiting position for door closure (hence the term “stop”). Major objectives served by the doorstop are both functional and aesthetic: to prevent a closing door from “swinging through” the doorway casing, and to support the door such that its visible surface is on a plane consistently level with the door frame facing. The doorstop strip typically borders the door jamb and also hides the gap between the door and the jamb. For more information in this respect, readers&#39; attention is directed to the Internet world wide web (www) address for metaglossary.com/meanings/855932. Typically, the open right angle formed at the joiner of strips of wood (for example, between the door stop and jamb, is known by the woodworking expression “reveal.” These structural relationships often appear in other closures, as well, for example: trunks, windows and the like. 
         [0016]    The phrase “closing face” as used herein to reference the substantially flat, major surface of a door, bound by its four associated edges. More specifically, the closing face is the door surface that swings within the door casing toward a door frame, jamb and doorstop as the door is “closed.” When fully closed, the door generally engages within the doorstop “reveal” where its swinging motion is arrested. The door typically engages the doorstop at its reveal along the door&#39;s top edge and two lateral (generally vertical surface) edges, respectively at its latch and hinge sides. The bottommost, generally horizontal door surface/edge may, or may not, face an abutting threshold doorstop. The inventive door check to be more fully described below is configured to engage the doorstop, and it is equally effective in preventing injuries at all such edges. The typical application of the inventive door check is at the topmost door edge, though the invention should not be considered so limited. 
         [0017]    The inventive door check device includes an action arm pivotally attached at its proximal end to a base member. The door check base member is configured to be suitably mounted on the door&#39;s closing face. The base member may be configured to be mounted to the door through an intermediate wedge or shim element. This results in an angular orientation of the door check action arm relative to the door surface. As the door and the angularly extended action arm are swung toward the doorstop, the door check&#39;s angular orientation relative to the closing face of the door results in a substantially normal (right angle) approach to the doorstop. This substantially normal approach minimizes lateral or bending forces on the arm, thus commanding a less robust arm construction. It also lessens scuffing damage to the doorstop. 
         [0018]    The proximal end of said action arm terminates in an arcuate portion pivoted about an axis pin within a journal structure on the base. The journal structure may be either affixed to, or integral with, the door check base. The action arm extends from its journalled location outwardly to a distal end configured to engage the doorstop. The action arm arcuate portion is configured to turn about its journal pivot so as to place the arm in each of (at least) three different modes or positions. For example, the action arm may swing upwardly to a position slightly above horizontal—herein described as the action arm&#39;s “door check position.” Alternatively, the action arm may be swung downwardly somewhat below horizontal to a midway position—herein described as the action arm&#39;s “trigger re-set position.” Upon further swinging movement about the pivot axis, the action arm may retreat fully downwardly to its “disabled position” where it essentially is out of service. 
         [0019]    When in its “trigger re-set position,” an uppermost corner portion of the action arm proximal end protrudes or juts slightly above the base journal so as to be exposed at an upper extreme of the door check device. This “protruding corner” configuration is key to the functionality of the inventive door check device. The action arm may be set in each of the above-mentioned (at least) three positions by a keeper mechanism comprising a resilient detent (spring-biased ball) configured to engage with indexing sockets or depressions defined along the surface of said arcuate portion. 
         [0020]    For example, with the resilient detent engaged in the defined socket or depression closest to the action arm&#39;s very proximal end, the action arm is set in its door checking position. The next defined depression formed along the action arm cooperates with the resilient detent to set the door check device in its trigger re-set mode. Next after that is the defined depression for optionally setting the action arm in a disabled mode. These settings are temporary conditions or modes achieved either by hand or by force of door check/doorstop interaction, to be explained. 
         [0021]    The inventive door check device is affixed to the door&#39;s closing face, substantially at the door&#39;s uppermost edge. Reasonably precise door check device placement is important. This enables the entire door check device (in its trigger re-set mode) to glide beneath the doorstop as the closing face of the door engages the doorstop. As it traverses beneath the doorstop, the uppermost corner of the proximal end of the action arm interferes with the doorstop and tends to force the proximal end downward and, correspondingly, its distal end upwardly. As the arm tilts slightly upwardly (due to engagement of the jutting corner with the doorstop), the resilient detent automatically re-sets the arm to door checking mode. When the door is subsequently opened, the action arm immediately snaps upwardly, ready to check the door when its next closing is attempted. 
         [0022]    In another example, when the door check device is set in its disabled mode, the resultant arm position is tilted fully downwardly so far that the door check device glides beneath the doorstop without any interaction therewith. This is because, in the disabled mode, the very proximal end of the action arm just beyond its pivot axis is essentially flat (or even) with its associated journal. In this configuration there is no upwardly projecting corner of the action arm proximal end. As long as the door check device is in disabled mode, no door checking takes place, no re-set action takes place, and no protection is afforded against injury. In this mode, it is as if the door check device is not present. 
         [0023]    Whether, or not, the arm engages the doorstop depends on its action mode setting as governed by the positional engagement of the biased detent ball in a defined socket or depression. For users with sufficient reach, mode settings may be changed by manually raising or lowering the arm&#39;s distal end. To accommodate other users where appropriate, a chain, cord or rod implement may be suitably attached. 
         [0024]    Thus, the safety device, in its operative or activated position, prevents full closure of the door leaving a gap at the door&#39;s edges which is intended to be at least a predetermined width. Depending upon the intended use of the inventive device, the resultant gap achieved (wider or narrower) can be predetermined or preset by the device&#39;s initial placement and configuration. The gap, for example, may be selected at about the thickness of a child&#39;s largest finger or the width of a pet&#39;s tail. 
         [0025]    While not intended as limiting this invention, an example of a minimal gap between the door and its normally closed position might be in the range of ⅜ inch—generally enough to prevent serious bone injury. This gap may be achieved where the inventive device is mounted near the upper edge of a typical door and spaced about 6 inches from its hinged edge. 
         [0026]    This gap may be more or less extensive as determined by the location of the device attachment along the top edge of the door, and of course by the length of the action arm. For example, positioning the door check device closer to the door&#39;s hinge edge may require a shorter articulated arm. Positioning the device a greater distance from the door&#39;s hinge edge will, of course, change the parameters proportionally. 
         [0027]    It must be kept in mind that the objective is to afford a relatively narrow gap at the door closure edges, including the hinge-gap located at the door edge opposite the doorknob/latch area. It bears repeating that the gap should be no narrower than a human&#39;s finger or other appendages or perhaps the tail, paw or nose of a pet. Gap choices for ventilation, pet passage and such may of course be considerably wider. 
         [0028]    While this description is primarily focused on a child&#39;s safety, it will be apparent that the present device may enjoy other applications such as keeping a child from locking himself/herself in a room. As noted, still other uses may include: maintaining a ventilating air flow passage around a door while purposely held slightly ajar. Another application would be to prevent a wind gust from fully closing an open door. A storage trunk may be propped open with this inventive check device in order to aerate its contents. With many storage trunks having metal edges along the closing portions, the present invention can protect against injury. Thus, the invention herein described and claimed as having novel configuration and function should not be considered limited to any specific problem solution. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0029]    The present invention will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0030]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the front side of the device with articulated action arm in slightly lowered position, or trigger re-set mode; 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the device partially disassembled and with the action arm disconnected to reveal important mode setting details; 
           [0032]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective of the device with the action arm in door checking mode; 
           [0033]      FIG. 4  is a backside perspective view of the device with the action arm partially lowered to its trigger re-set mode; 
           [0034]      FIG. 5  is a backside perspective similar to  FIG. 4 , with the action arm placed in its inactivated, fully lowered position; 
           [0035]      FIG. 6  is a backside perspective similar to  FIG. 4 , again showing the action arm in trigger re-set mode; 
           [0036]      FIG. 7  is a backside perspective similar to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , with the action arm raised in door checking mode; 
           [0037]      FIG. 8  is a front perspective viewed from below and showing the door check device mounted on a door, with the action arm in door checking mode and engaging the reveal of a generally horizontal doorstop within a door jamb; 
           [0038]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 8 , showing the door stop on the face of a fully closed door, with the action arm pressed upwardly and ready for door checking when the door is reopened; 
           [0039]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view similar to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , with the action arm in trigger re-set mode entering a door frame; 
           [0040]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view similar to  FIGS. 8-10 , of a closed door with its door check device in a deactivated (disarmed) position so as to be essentially withdrawn from service. 
           [0041]      FIG. 12  is a partial perspective view of the door check device base and shim illustrating an optional reversible interconnection to accommodate both left and right swinging doors. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0042]    Looking more closely at the inventive door check device  1  depicted in  FIGS. 1-12 , it will be seen that the principal operative element is the outwardly projecting, articulated impact or action arm  4 . This action arm  4  and its associated components may be fabricated from any of a variety of source materials. These materials include but are not limited to plastic, wood, metal, and the like, bearing in mind that to be qualified a source material must be sufficiently substantial to withstand repeated compressive and shearing impacts. Since this inventive device  1  is intended for widespread use, it also is important that the selected source materials be relatively inexpensive and easily manufactured and assembled. 
         [0043]    The door check device  1  with impact or action arm  4  as viewed in  FIGS. 1 and 2  extends from a proximal end at a base  8  to which it is mounted on pivot pin  26  in journal bearing block elements  10  and  12  (integral with, or affixed to, the base  8 ). The action arm extends outwardly to a terminus at its distal end  20 . The action arm&#39;s distal end  20  is seen as having a working portion serving as a door check  1  as it impacts face  44  of doorstop  42  (see  FIGS. 8-11 ). A suitably resilient impact pad or plate can be provided to avoid damage to doorstop  44  as is well known in the art. 
         [0044]    It should be clear that the action arm  4  may be a single, integral element or an assemblage as indicated in  FIGS. 1 and 8 , and may present any appropriate shape as long as it has sufficient reach to achieve a desired gap (also suggested in  FIG. 8 ) when engaged against a face  44  ( FIG. 10 ) of doorstop  42  ( FIGS. 9-11 ). Advantageously, action arm  4  would include a broadened impact surface at its distal end  20  (see  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  9 ,  10 ). The purpose of broadening the impact surface is to reduce the possibility that the arm will be snapped off or that the arm will cause impact puncture damage to the wooden frame reveal. Distal end  20  may, of course be a single flattened element that is either integral with, or attached to, the arm  4 . Other shapes may be adequate as will be explained. A resilient tip (not shown) may be added to distal end  20  if so desired. 
         [0045]    Device  1  base member  8 , to which the articulated action arm  4  is pivotally journalled on pin  26 , may be fastened to the door  40  ( FIGS. 8-11 ) in any of a variety of ways. Base member  8  may be attached by bolt  30  to an intermediate wedge-shape shim element  16  ( FIG. 9 ), though alternative wedge arrangements may be adequate, as well, as discussed below. Bolt  30  engages a matching nut (not shown) located in a rear face recess  31  in element  16  ( FIGS. 5 ,  6 ). The purpose of the wedge shape shim element  16  is further discussed below. The assembly of the arm  4 , base member  8  and shim  16  may be (for example only) attached to the door by means of high strength two-sided adhesive tape  19  ( FIG. 4 ). 
         [0046]    The assemblage just described as including base member  8 , action arm  4 , journal bearing block elements  10 ,  12  along with shim or wedge  16  could be attached by other equivalent means involving threaded or unthreaded fasteners, rivets, glue, tape and such. Moreover, the entire unit including elements  8 ,  4 ,  10 ,  12  and bore hole  24  ( FIG. 2 ) for spring biased detent  22 , could be injection molded or otherwise fabricated as a single integral unit. There is, however, an advantage to the use of a separate shim element  16  as will be noted below. 
         [0047]    It is important that force vectors resulting from contact of the distal end  20  of articulated action arm  4  as it impacts the door stop  42  reveal surface  44  must be taken into consideration in device design. If the articulated arm  4  is mounted on a door surface  40  so as to be substantially perpendicular thereto, the dynamic angularity of door  40  movement toward the surface of doorstop reveal  44  will result in deflective shear of the articulated action arm  4 . The intermediate wedge-shaped shim  16  serves to avoid breakage by initially positioning the articulated arm at a slight angle as now will be discussed. 
         [0048]    Shim  16  is fastened between the safety device  1  base member  8  and the door  40  ( FIGS. 4 ,  9 ,  10 ). The shim  16  is shaped so as to be thicker at one lateral edge  18  thereof (i.e., laterally, side-to-side of the door&#39;s closing surface). The shim  16  configuration results in the articulated arm  4  projecting outwardly from the door  40  at an obtuse angle ( FIG. 9 ). As the door  40  and angularly extended action arm  4  move toward the doorstop, the angle of arm  4  will result its substantial normal (right angle) impact at reveal  44 . This will avoid angular shear forces upon impact. As a consequence of the reduced likelihood of shear, the articulated arm  4  can be fabricated to have a less robust configuration. 
         [0049]    The direction of door swing must also be taken into consideration. It will be advantageous to be able to mount the device at an opposite edge of door  40  when its swing is in a different direction (i.e., closes toward left rather than right). However, the angularity of the action arm  4  relative to the door stop  42  reveal surface  44  must also be reversed. Shim  16  thus is constructed as reversibly fastened by loosening bolt  30  and rotating the shim  16  a full 180-degrees (i.e., reversing placement of its thicker edge) to enable its use for either left-swing or right-swing doors. 
         [0050]    Alternatively, shim  16  and base  8  can have a dovetail/groove interface thus avoiding all fasteners such as bolts, screws, friction clips and the like. For example,  FIG. 12  shows a shim  16 ′ with a tongue  60 ′ feature configured to engage with an interference fit with corresponding groove  62 ′ in base  8 ′ (or, of course, vice versa). Shim  16 ′ could be withdrawn from its matching groove on base  8 ′ and turned 180-degrees for reversed engagement to base  8 ′. This reversal of shim  16 ′ will serve to change the slant or angular direction of the device  1  to conform to either door swing direction as discussed above. Other well known interference or snap-fit configurations may be applied, as well. To ensure stable operation, detents or motion stops may be included within such interference fit arrangements as is well known in the art. 
         [0051]    For the inventive door check device  1  to work most effectively, it is important that the articulated action arm  4  assume different positions relative to the doorstop  44 . The proximal end of the action arm  4  terminates in an arcuate portion (see  FIG. 2 ) pivoted about axis pin  26  ( FIG. 1 ) within journal structure  10 ,  12  on base  8 . Defined in a surface of arcuate portion of action arm  4  are indexing sockets or depressions  32 ,  34 , and  36  as viewed in  FIG. 2 . These defined indexing sockets or depressions  32 ,  34 ,  36  are collaboratively juxtaposed to a resilient detent ball  22  within spring bore  24  ( FIG. 2 ). As the pivoted arcuate portion of arm  4  traverses the resilient detent ball  22 , the nose of the latter will spring selectively into each of said defined indexing sockets  32 ,  34 ,  36 . This collaboration between arm  4  and ball  22  serves temporarily to secure the action arm  4  in specific modes or positions. 
         [0052]    For example, when ball  22  is biased into defined indexing socket  36 , arm  4  is set or indexed for door check mode as best shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  7 ,  8 . In this position, arm  4  approaches and directly engages doorstop  44 . Similarly, when ball  22  is biased into defined socket  34 , arm  4  is held in trigger re-set mode. In this latter mode, door  40  may be fully closed, but due to dosing interaction of the doorstop  42  with upwardly protruding corner  5  depicted in  FIG. 6 , the arm  4  will be raised slightly such that the nose of resilient ball  22  will slip into defined socket  36 , readying device  1  for door checking mode when the door is reopened. Finally, defined socket  32  is associated with the action arm  4  deactivated mode ( FIGS. 5 ,  11 ). Thus, to withdraw the door check device  1  from service, the nose of resilient ball  22  is set into defined socket  32  such that arm  4  is relatively vertical and there is no upwardly protruding corner  5  to cause further re-set (see  FIGS. 5 and 11 ). Door  40  then operates in its normal state without interference from door check  1 . 
         [0053]    When use of the inventive door check device  1  is desired, a relatively tall person (e.g., an adult or older child) opens the door  40  and manually enables the articulated impact action arm  4  to its trigger re-set mode as depicted in  FIGS. 1 ,  4 ,  6 ,  10 . In this mode the action arm  4  pivots on pin  26  so as to project outwardly and slightly downwardly from its base  8 . 
         [0054]    As the door  40  then is dosed, the door check device  1  enters the door frame  42  where it glides beneath doorstop  44 . But, as device  1  passes beneath doorstop  44 , the uppermost corner  5  action arm  4  (see  FIG. 6 ) engages against doorstop  44  with just enough interference to cause the action arm  4  distal end to be raised very slightly ( FIG. 9 ). This in turn causes the detent or nose  22  to bias the action arm  4  proximal end toward the depression or socket  36  associated with the action arm  4  door checking mode. When the door  40  is subsequently opened, action arm automatically springs upward with the detent fully engaged into indexing socket  36 . This ensures arm  4  is automatically raised to door checking mode. Subsequent attempts to close the door  40  with inventive device  1  in this mode will not be successful without adult intervention. 
         [0055]    In summary, as a safety device this invention works by preventing a door from fully closing except by an adult or older child tall enough to disable the mechanism. The inventive door check device mounts on the door  40  closing face. The door check device action arm  4 , when extended, stops the door  40  from fully closing by engaging door stop  44  wood trim, thus leaving a gap therebetween. Depending on the distance from the edge of the door where the device is mounted, the space or gap (see  FIG. 8 ) between the door and the jamb (on the hinge side) can be regulated. 
         [0056]    This door check device  1  not only helps prevent injuries from the hinge side of the door, but also the side that normally closes. It can be disabled by putting the arm  4  in its fully lowered position. For normal operations, the door  40  is opened and action arm  4  is placed in door checking position (indexed to extend slightly above horizontal). To dose the door  40  an adult or older child would need to flip arm  4  to a slanted position associated with its re-set mode. When the door  40  subsequently is re-opened, arm  4  springs up automatically and subsequently prevents the door  40  from closing fully, thus preventing injury. 
         [0057]    Since the base  8  shim  16  can be reversed as explained, door check device  1  will accommodate left or right hinged doors ( 40 ). Tip  20  of arm  4 , where it contacts the door stop is shown as widened to distribute the energy on impact so as to avoid damaging the door  40 . Depending on materials employed, additional nailing or other fasteners may be necessary to ensure proper operation. 
         [0058]    This invention boasts a number of novel features and advantages: prevents injury at all four edges of door  40 ; readily deploys by simply flipping arm  4 ; continuously operates in door check mode without constant re-set; does not include loose parts or items that can pose danger to infants or may be misplaced or lost; does not need to be removed from the door in order to cease its blocking action; use of the device does not impart permanent damage to the door (thus, it may be removed as children grow older); safeguards people of all ages from injury; may be fabricated at reasonable cost; simple to install and operate. 
         [0059]    Although various embodiments of the present invention have been presented in the foregoing detailed description and accompanying drawings, it will be understood that the description is meant to be illustratively only and in no way limited to the embodiments disclosed. The present invention may assume numerous arrangements, rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions of steps without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the following claims.

Technology Category: 0