FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a door securing apparatus, and in particular to a door securing apparatus to be used independent of any locking mechanism.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A pair of locked doors, one being a screen door that allows free flow of air, and the other a solid door, is a commonly used arrangement, particularly in warm weather countries to allow a breeze. Both doors are usually security doors and are lockable to keep out unwanted visitors. However, there is a vulnerability in that if the screen door is cut, or if access to the inside lock achieved then the screen door can be opened, allowing access to the inner door. A known method of unauthorised entry is to cut a hole in the security screen, sufficient to put through the hand of a person or child, to reach inside and turn the handle to open the door, or to grab the keys. For safety, often doors opened from the inside will allow a person to open the door, a measure to allow escape in a fire. Therefore, reaching inside allows the door to be opened. If a person knows the outer door to be locked they may not be too concerned to lock the inner door, and so a person who can open the outer door then has free access to the property. One of the doors may be locked with keys, but if the keys are left in the door on the inside, once the hand of a person is inside they can take the keys and then unlock further doors.

One of the many unfortunate consequences of such unlawful entry is access to the keys to access all parts of the house, but also the car keys, meaning the vehicle can be stolen easily. Where a car is stolen by a person with the keys, no alarms will be tripped and the person may be unaware of the theft until sometime later. At this point the car may have already been used in other crimes, and often, sadly, torched and left to burn destroying the evidence of the crimes. Access through screen doors, and access to keys is a significant and serious problem. Use of the door locks properly should be made, but as a supplemental level of security, the inventor has developed a physical restraint, so that if part of the door is compromised, this does not in turn lead to opening of the doors and free access to the property. The invention will also work if either or both doors are left unlocked or are compromised through loss of keys.

The inventor has through careful research and development created a surprisingly clever new way to keep the two doors, the screen door and a standard door held physically together, independent of the locking system. Often the most brilliant of inventions appear simple at first look, but have not been made use of until now and so clearly were not an obvious development over the prior art. Where a person can make a physical barrier to opening a door, build a barricade or tie a strap around the handle to try to stop it being operated, this would work but clearly these measures are inconvenient, and ultimately may only slow down a person. The subject invention instead completely and effectively prevents the separating or opening of the doors thereby preventing access inside. Only when the person inside removes the additional security and removes the door securing apparatus from the being in a secure state can the doors again be used as usual. It is envisaged that as the last stage of security at night, after all the locks have been turned, use of the invention will give significant peace of mind to the user. The user will know both locks, and a security measure are in place to protect themselves from the action of intruders.

The invention, as a lightweight, readily carried, installed and used item, it is likely to be commercially successful in areas of high petty crime, as an effective way to prevent unauthorised access to a home.

The invention is applicable as a temporary or portable fix for any doors to keep a person save from unauthorised access through the doors. In this way even if the handle can be operated or the inner or outer door unlocked or locks compromised, the physical door securing apparatus of the invention strongly maintains the two doors together. Provided the inner door is locked the invention keeps the screen door closed, and prevents unlocking and physical access while the invention is in place. The linking of the two doors prevents the opening of the screen door to the then access and break in to the inner door. The invention may be fixed, through use of an installed anchor to the door frame to add to the bracing together of the two doors in a preferred form of the invention. A portable form of the invention is also part of the invention, with a buckle used instead of an anchor, that can be readily carried and used to fix any doors where a person is staying to give the added physical barrier to unauthorised entry. All forms of the invention include means to tighten and brace (anchor) the doors together so they are held tightly physically together, whether locked or unlocked to prevent opening of the doors.

For some arrangements the screen door is the outer door, sometimes it is the inner door, it depends on the particular set up. The invention can be adapted to any arrangement to link and close together a pair of doors, whether the screen door is the inner or outer door or in fact if the second door is not a screen door but rather another form of door.

The following describes a non-limiting example of the invention being used with reference to an outer screen door and an inner conventional door, as is a particularly useful application of the invention. The invention, however is applicable to any two door arrangement where the door securing apparatus may be useful, or for a single door or window where an alternative anchor is used to provide the security.

Throughout the specification and claims reference is made to an anchor. In one form of the invention the anchor is a fixed anchor used to tighten the two doors together, tightening the strap like body. In other forms of the invention the anchor is a buckle or similar tightening means to tightening the two doors together. In this second form the anchoring is the anchoring of one door to another rather than being a fixed anchor. The anchoring may also be a combination of these means.

For clarity, any prior art referred to herein, does not constitute an admission that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge, in Australia or elsewhere. It is an object of the present invention to provide a door securing apparatus that at least ameliorates one or more of the aforementioned problems of the prior art. It is a further and separate object of the invention to provide a method of use of a door securing apparatus.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention provides a door securing apparatus for a door arrangement, the door arrangement included a pair of spaced doors, an inner door and an outer door, the inner door including a body and an inner handle, and the outer door including a body and an inner handle, and fitting within a door frame of a building, the door securing apparatus including: an outer door engagement part to strongly engage the inner handle of the outer door; an inner door engagement part, connected to the outer door engagement part, which can strongly connect with the inner door and or door frame; and an anchor means between the outer door engagement part and the inner door engagement part adapted to tighten the outer door engagement part strongly to the inner door engagement part and maintaining in place, wherein the inner door and outer door and held strongly physically together when the anchor is in operation to prevent to entry by an unauthorised person, independent of any locking mechanism of the doors.

Accordingly, the present invention provides, in a variant, a door securing apparatus for a door arrangement, the door arrangement included a pair of spaced doors, an inner door and an outer door, the inner door including a body and an inner handle, and the outer door including a body and an inner handle, and fitting within a door frame of a building, the door securing apparatus including: an outer door engagement part including a loop to strongly engage the inner handle of the outer door; an inner door engagement part including a loop, connected to the outer door engagement part, which can strongly connect with the inner door and or door frame; and an anchor means between the outer door engagement part looped about the handle, and the inner door engagement part looped about the handle, adapted to tighten the outer door engagement part strongly to the inner door engagement part and maintaining in place anchored against the inner door and or door frame, wherein the inner door and outer door and held strongly physically together when the anchor is in operation to prevent to entry by an unauthorised person, independent of any locking mechanism of the doors.

Accordingly, the present invention provides, in a further variant, a door securing apparatus for a door arrangement, the door arrangement included a pair of spaced doors, an inner door and an outer door, the inner door including a body and an inner handle, and the outer door including a body and an inner handle, and fitting within a door frame of a building, the door securing apparatus including: a strap like body with a first end and a second end; an outer door engagement part, at one end of the strap like body and including a loop to strongly engage the inner handle of the outer door; an inner door engagement part and the other end of the strap like body and including a loop, connected to the outer door engagement part, which can strongly connect with the inner door and or door frame; and an anchor means associated with the strap like body, positioned between the outer door engagement part looped about the handle, and the inner door engagement part looped about the handle, the anchor adapted to tighten the outer door engagement part strongly to the inner door engagement part and maintaining in place anchored against the inner door and or door frame, wherein the inner door and outer door and held strongly physically together when the anchor is in operation to prevent to entry by an unauthorised person, independent of any locking mechanism of the doors.

Preferably, in any of the forms of the invention the anchor is fixed to the door furniture or other fixture to strongly attach and brace the rest of the invention. In the portable or buckle form of the invention the anchor is not fixed, but is instead portable and the tightening occurs through tightening of the buckle instead. In the anchor form, the physical form may be a buckle, the only difference being one is fixed and one is free. The anchor and buckle may be configured in any suitable manner for use in the invention.

Preferably, the anchor is fixed to a door frame to provide strong bracing between the door frame and the outer door engagement part to maintain the outer door closed.

Preferably, in one form, the door securing apparatus is portable so as to be carried by a person to install temporarily, as required on doors of a building. In other forms of the invention the door securing apparatus is fixed to the door frame.

Preferably, the door securing apparatus is used in additional to any other locking or security of the doors. Preferably, the door securing apparatus substantially close the doors together or to the anchor to maintain in place. Preferably, the door securing apparatus is used independently and completely separately from any locking of the doors. Preferably, the door securing apparatus is used to provide a securing means to keep the two doors tightly together. Preferably, when the invention is in use the two doors cannot be separated, until the use of the invention is released and removed. Preferably, the door securing apparatus can provide strong securing of the doors together to keep the doors closed and prevent unauthorised access. Preferably, the door securing apparatus is a physical securing of the pair of doors or gates together to provide additional security. Preferably, by preventing access to the outer or screen door assists to prevent access to the inner door, and the building inside. The invention is an arrangement adapted for use of to secure two doors together. The invention may be used with a fixed anchor attached to any suitable anchor in other forms of the invention. The handle of the inner door may be omitted in which case another part of the outer door is used to connect. Preferably, a conventional handle is included in the inner door. Preferably, the handle is as shown in the Figures. Preferably, the handles of the doors are used with loops of the door securing apparatus one on the inner handle of the outer door, through the door jamb space, and then looped around the handle of the inner handle of the inner door, tightened by use of the anchor.

Most preferably, use of the door securing apparatus tightly holds the inner door and the outer door together to prevent separation or access to open the outer door or inner door. Most preferably, the door securing apparatus fixes the two doors secured together when the anchor is tightened together.

The building may be a domestic dwelling. The building may be a commercial building. The building may also be replaced by any suitable building, property or an area to be closed or locked, such as in a gateway.

The door securing apparatus is preferably constructed of secure webbing with a strong metal anchor. A strong plastics material may be used for the anchor instead. Most preferably, a strong webbing material is used for the majority of the door securing apparatus to be flexible and strong, and tightened and anchored against the anchor and or buckle to tighten the loops between the door handles, as described in detail below. The door securing apparatus may be made a composite of suitable strong materials including plastics materials.

Preferably, the outer door is a screen door. Preferably, the outer door is a security screen door. The outer door may be any suitable form of door. The screen door will be of a substantially rectangular frame with a fly screen cover and metal frame, with an outer and inner handle. The handle may be omitted or replaced with another part to engage part of the door securing apparatus in other forms of the invention. Preferably, the inner door is a front door or back door of a building. Preferably, the inner door is a conventional door used to secure a building. The inner door may be any suitable form of door. The door may be a conventional form of wood or metal with a handle operable from the outside and inside and a locking mechanism. The handle may be omitted or replaced with other features to use to secure the part of the door securing apparatus in other forms of the invention. The locking mechanism may be any suitable lock. In another form of the invention the locking mechanism may be adapted to work the door securing apparatus. However, as illustrated the door securing apparatus and the locking mechanism are completely separate and work independently.

The outer door means the door with the face to the outside of a room. The outside may be outside the building or potentially where a room is locked within another building the outside door may face into another room inside the building.

The inner door means the door with the inner face to the inside of a room. The room may be any kind of room. The room may be a hallway, reception room, kitchen or balcony, for example. The invention may be used wherever useful to secure an area.

Preferably, the outer door engagement part is adapted to engage and hold the outer door strongly to the inner door, when tightened through use of the anchor (or buckle in the buckle form of the invention). The outer door engagement part can be adapted to engage any part of the outer door, anywhere a strong connection can be created. Most preferably, the engagement is with the inner part of the handle of the outer door. Most preferably, the outer door engagement part is adapted to readily be engaged and disengaged for ease of use.

The outer door engagement part may take any suitable shape to engage. Preferably, the outer door engagement part is in the form of a loop. Preferably, the door securing apparatus is formed of a linear body. Preferably, the linear body is in the form of a strap. Preferably, the body is a linear body in the form of a strap with a loop at one end to form the outer door engagement part. Most preferably the inner door engagement part is a further loop at the other end of the linear strap body to the outer door engagement part, with an anchor between the loops. The linear body of the door securing apparatus may have a loop at either end and the loops may be the outer door engagement part and the inner door engagement part. The loops may be replaced by any suitable form to engage or connect strongly to the door so as to engage the door to be able to be braced together.

Preferably, the loop is configured to readily loop over the inner handle of the outer door in a loose state, so that the loop can be easily put on or taken off. Preferably, the length of the strap body of the door securing apparatus is such that the outer door engagement loop can be readily looped over the outer door handle, and then tightened through use of the buckle and or anchor to be sufficiently tight to maintain strongly in place. Preferably, the length of the body of the door securing apparatus is approximately 300 millimetres, but may be any length that suits, including 300 to 500 millimetres. Any suitable length may be used instead.

The inner door engagement part may take any suitable shape to engage. Preferably, the inner door engagement part is in the form of a loop. Preferably, where the door securing apparatus is formed of a linear strap body and the inner door engagement part is a loop at one end.

Preferably, the connection between the outer door and the inner door is such that the two doors are held closely and tightly together when the anchor is engaged, to substantially prevent separation of the two doors. Preferably, use of the door securing apparatus substantially prevents unauthorised access to the doors. Preferably, the outer door and inner door and strongly held together with a limited range of movement. Preferably, access to the inner door is prevented through use of the invention.

Preferably, the outer door and inner door are held together with a predetermined short distance between then to prevent opening of either door when the door securing apparatus is in use. Preferably, the predetermined distance between the first and second door is the distance when both doors are closed. Preferably, the distance of the outer and inner door is maintained at a very short distance to substantially prevent any movement to open the doors. Most preferably, the door securing apparatus creates a physical restraint to keep the two doors closed together, in a sophisticated and easy to use form, a highly desirable commercial product which is likely to be readily taken up by the public.

Preferably, the anchor means is in the form of a buckle, through which part of the strap like body passes. The anchor means may take any suitable form. The anchor means may include hooks, loops or ratchets for example. Most preferably, the anchor includes a buckle like part, through which the strap body passes to shorten the length from the outer door engagement part and brace therewith.

Preferably, the anchor includes a fixed part, attached to the door frame to assist to brace the doors in the closed state. Preferably, part of the anchor is fixed to the door frame. Preferably, the anchor means includes a plate, strongly fixed to the door frame and extending toward the door to act as a strong brace for the strap body as it is tightened from the outer door engagement part.

Optionally, the inner door engagement part is the anchor means. In this form of the invention there is no second loop. Most preferably, however, a second loop is included, the inner door engagement means and after the anchor/buckle is used to tighten against the outer door engagement means, the inner door engagement means is looped about the inner door handle to secure the two doors together. Variants to the arrangement may be included, to suit the particular door arrangement and the needs of the user.

Optionally, the invention may be used for any secured area, or even for windows where appropriate bracing may be achieved.

Accordingly, the invention also provides a method of use of a door securing apparatus, the door securing apparatus including an outer door engagement part, and inner door engagement part and an anchor means, and the method including the following steps: a) engaging the outer door engagement part with an inner handle of an outer door; b) threading the inner door engagement part through a door frame to inside of an inner door; c) tightening through use of the anchor means to hold the outer door strongly closed to the anchor means; and d) optionally engaging the inner door engagement means to an inner handle of the inner door.

Preferably, the door securing apparatus of the method is the door securing apparatus of any of the forms or variants of the invention described above.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The door securing apparatus may be manufactured industrially, for supply direct to consumers, to wholesalers or to retailers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in connection with a non-limiting preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view from above from above of a door securing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention installed on an outer screen door and anchored inside a standard door closed in a door frame, the outer door handle is omitted for ease of illustration;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the inner handle of the outer door and part of door securing apparatus of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the inner handle of the inner door and part of door securing apparatus of Figure 1 ; and Figure 4 is a plan view from above of the door securing apparatus of Figures 1 to 3, arranged as used with the doors but with the doors and door frame omitted for ease of illustration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION INCLUDING A BEST MODE

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described, where door securing apparatus 1 is in use, and is the in the form of a woven material strap which is very strong and resistant to breakage, cutting or tearing. It is important that a flexible but non-resilient material is used, so that the apparatus can be installed in place, looped over the hand and then the door handles, but then tightened to hold in place, without any stretch. Other flexible woven materials, including recycled or plastics material may be use instead. Door securing apparatus 1 includes outer loop strap 10, connecting inner strap labelled 12, to anchor 14, connected to anchor strap 16, leading to inner loop strap 18. The body or strap of the apparatus is shown as a continuous piece for maximum strength loop to body through anchor to loop but other arrangements could be used instead.

Door securing apparatus 1 is used for a pair of doors in door frame 20 with outer door 22, with outer door inner handle 24, and inner door 26, with inner door outer handle 28, and inner door inner handle 30. There is the usual space between the doors labelled 32, and this space, as well as the sizes of the doors are of a standard size, all within a known range. The invention is designed to adapt to these conventional pair of doors, and adjustably be tightened to secure the pair of doors tightened and secured together.

Each of the door loops 10 and 18 are similar, sized to be similar in length to the particular handle to which the loop is to be applied, and can be readily looped on or off when there is no tension on the strap body. Outer loop strap 10 may first be looped over the outer door inner handle 24 to sit in the right-angle created by handle 24. Clearly, outer door 22 in this example is closed before securing, and the person works from inside the building. As can be seen in the Figures loop 10 is formed of a folded over end of the webbing securely sewn to create a strong loop. In this way loop 10 is anchored or attached in place as biasing pressure away from loop 10 and handle 24 is maintained. Continuous with loop 10 is inner strap 14 and a person can hold inner strap 12 and tension against loop 10 on handle 24.

After looping loop 10 about handle 24, and pulling tight, inner strap 12 may then be placed at the outer edge of door 26 in inner door frame space 34, and while maintaining tension inner door 26 can be closed into door frame 20. There is some holding of inner strap 12 between door 26 in door frame 28 but this is insufficient to hold the doors together. If outer door 22 is opened in this state the door can be opened as usual and access to inner door 26 is possible. However, at this point anchor 14 is used, anchor 14 being fixed during installation to door frame 20, to provide a further bracing point during use. Anchor 14 is small and does not extend, once installed, much beyond the door jamb of the frame, and so does not interfere with the usual use of the door. Although not shown, anchor 14 is supplied with the rest of door securing apparatus 1 with two fixing screws to screw to door frame 20. Other fixings may be used as suitable, and pushed along anchor strap 16 and inner strap 12 if extending beyond the door frame until anchor 14 is in place to brace against loop 10. Anchor 14 as illustrated may have the strap pushed through body of door securing apparatus 10 until the distance of strap between loop 10 and anchor 14 on the inner surface of inner door 26 means that the strap is tight and holds outer door 22 tightly in place.

Anchor 14 as illustrated is formed of a strong plastic plate, through which the strap of door securing apparatus 1 pass through a buckle arrangement to hold in place once tightened. A metal plate or buckle can be used instead.

Although not illustrated, anchor 14 will include a protective padding on the inner surface so as not to damage the door surface. A ratchet or other similar arrangement may be used instead to hold the length of strap to maintain in place, so that once the correct length of strap has been ascertained by pulling loop 10 on handle 24, and pulling tight on the other side of inner door 26. The flat plate of anchor 14 works well to spread the force across both the door frame and door in this form of the invention. As anchor 14 lies across inner door frame space 34 spanning door frame 20 and door 26 the anchoring force is spread across both structures and spread widely to strongly resist opening of outer door 22. Should an unauthorised person try to open outer door 22, the door will be held strongly in place, held by the short length of strap of door securing apparatus 1 , and anchor 14.

As a further level of bracing inner loop strap 18 is then looped over inner door inner handle 30, finalising the securing of inner door 26 to outer door 22. In this way the short distance 32 between outer door 22 and inner door 26 is restricted by door securing apparatus 1 , to maintain the very short distance, to not allow outer door 22 to be moved to be opened as there is no stretch in the weave of the strap. Locks are necessary, but if there is a risk of compromise, a physical restraint to maintain the two doors in a close arrangement such that the two doors cannot be separated provides a strong physical barrier against unauthorised access. In some forms of the invention an indicator sign will be included to show to the outside that the invention is in use, to act as a deterrent so a potential thief will not try to break in where as passing through the doors will not be possible. In other forms of the invention it may be preferred to hide the fact that the invention is in place, as the delay caused as the person tries to break in, may allow time to alert the police. Wasting the time of the potential thief may also assist to reduce the possibility of more thefts at other properties the same night.

The fixed anchor 14 form of the invention is favoured. Although a small fixing to the door frame is required, the minor fixings required means that the installing on rental properties as a temporary installation is suitable. For owner occupiers, a permanent installation may be made with an anchor designed to coordinate with the other door furniture.

A temporary, portable form of the invention is also envisaged, exactly as described for the preferred embodiment but the anchor is not a fixed anchor to the door frame. Instead the anchor is a buckle, that is not fixed to anything but can be used to tighten between loop 10 on handle 24 in the same way, and the buckle itself braces against inner door 26 and door frame 20. In this form of the invention inner loop strap 18 is important to hook around inner door handle 30 to finalise the strong physical holding of the outer door to the inner door.

As described the loops size is fixed and predetermined. In other forms of the invention the loops may be adjustable, so that the loops may be adjusted to suit the door handles. In this form of the invention further buckles may be included to enable the loop size adjustment and then the loop size fixed by locking the buckle in place. Where the invention is used in the portable form, use of adjustable loops is preferably to enable the invention to be used for different handle sizes. The full length of the strap between the doors is adjustable as it tightens in all forms of the invention to ensure that the two doors are held closely together.

This clever, effective, but easy to use invention can be installed in minutes by use of screws to fix anchor 14 to door frame 20. The strap body between loop 10 and loop 18 is pre-threaded through the anchor, before use. Outer loop 10 is looped on handle 24 and can be tightened by hand to hold door 22 tightly in place, and as the inner door closes is further tightened. Anchor 14 is used, by pulling the strap body tight away from loop 10, until completely tight and completely resists outward opening of the outer door, braced against anchor 14. As a final protection loop 18 is looped about handle 30 and with the shortened length, adjusted through anchor 14, this is a tight fit and strongly maintains the doors together. To release the tension created between anchor 14 and inner handle 30 and engaged loop 18 is released by pulling, slack created at the buckle, anchor 14 and as the inner door opens the outer loop 10 can also be removed. As fully adjustable the invention can be easily made to fit the particular doors and hold the doors firmly together.

It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that changes may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its various aspects. REFERENCE SIGNS LIST: