Movable or removable closures – With protective grille or safety guard – Removable
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-30
2001-02-06
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3623)
Movable or removable closures
With protective grille or safety guard
Removable
C049S463000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182397
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is related generally to moveable and removable closures and, more particularly, to protective grilles for securing building openings.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As was pointed out in Applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/611,598, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,628, crime is serious problem confronting modern society. Burglary and forced entry into buildings are of major concern to families, businesses and organizations. Such crimes can result in theft, property damage, personal injury, or more serious harm.
Security doors and windows are a well known means of preventing criminals from entering a building through a building opening. Security doors and windows typically consist of heavy metal bars or grates that are placed over a window or door opening to prevent criminals from entering the building. These security systems are typically secured to the building opening in a permanent manner (i.e., they are not removable). U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,590 (Earley), U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,151 (Der Estephanian) and U.S. Pat. No. 1,657,908 (Wulftange) are examples of permanently-mounted security bars or grates.
While permanently-mounted security bars may prevent criminals from breaking into a building they also present serious safety concerns for people in the building. For example, security bars may prevent egress in the event of an emergency such as a fire. A person inside the structure who would normally escape the fire by exiting through a basement or ground floor window could find his or her means of egress blocked.
In response to this serious safety problem, others have sought to develop security bars which can be removed in the event of an emergency. U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,567 (Pierpont), U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,096 (Hade), U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,226 (Woodrow), U.S. Pat. No. 1,507,478 (Gray) and U.S. Pat. No. 999,682 (Suits) are all examples of removable security devices.
However, these removable security bar devices all have certain disadvantages. For example, Pierpont, Hade, Gray and Suits each secure their bars with a key-actuated lock located near the window opening. Operation of a lock would be impossible if the key were lost or misplaced. In addition, operation of a lock may be beyond the ability of a person who is panicking in an emergency situation such as a fire or criminal home invasion. Minimally, a person in a state of panic would require excessive time to actuate the lock; such time may not be available in an emergency. It is advantageous for the security bars to be secured in a manner not requiring a lock.
At the same time that security bars can keep criminals out, they can also serve the beneficial purpose of keeping small children and pets in by preventing them from falling out of the window. This is an unfortunate but very real problem in high-rise apartment buildings where families with children and pets are present. While the security bars should be easy for an adult to remove, they should be difficult for a child to remove.
A security system which would prevent ingress through a building window (with or without a locking device) which would be easy for an adult to remove so that people could exit the building in the case of an emergency, yet which would be relatively difficult for a child to remove would represent an important advance in the art.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved security apparatus overcoming some of the problems and shortcomings of devices of the prior art.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved security apparatus which securely covers a window or other building opening thereby preventing ingress to the building.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved security apparatus which remains securely in place without the requirement of a key-actuated lock.
A further object of this invention is to provide an improved security bar apparatus which may be rapidly and easily removed from a window or other building opening facilitating egress from the building.
It is also an object to provide an improved security bar apparatus which is relatively difficult for a small child to remove.
These and other important objects will be apparent from the following descriptions and from the drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, the invention is a removable apparatus for preventing ingress through an opening in a building and which may be removed for egress through the opening by a building occupant. The invention may be removed rapidly by an adult but is relatively difficult for a small child to remove. The invention may be used in many different types of suitable building openings such as bay windows, standard flat window openings and doors.
The invention includes a grille structure removably secured with respect to the opening. The preferred grille structure has an upper horizontal bar member (also referred to herein as a “first horizontal bar member”), at least one lower horizontal bar member (also referred to herein as “second horizontal bar member”), a pair of laterally-disposed vertical members coupled to the horizontal members, and a latch mechanism for limiting lateral and vertical movement of the grille structure. Preferably, the latch mechanism allows rapid removal of the grille structure from the building opening by an adult.
It is preferred that at least one stop member is secured along the bottom of the building opening for receiving at least one of the grille structure vertical members. Preferably, each grille vertical member is received in the stop member.
The preferred stop member has a first stop portion an opposed second stop portion and a space therebetween. The first and second stop portions limit movement of the grille structure to the space between the opposed stop portions. Highly preferred forms of the stop member include at least one channel having first and second vertical walls forming a substantially open top portion through which at least one grille vertical member is received. It is most highly preferred that the stop member consists of a single channel.
The stop member is positioned in an appropriate position for securing the grille structure. By way of example only, the stop member may be positioned within the window opening or along the wall surface adjacent to the window opening.
Preferred forms of the latch mechanism include at least one upper horizontal bar member secured to the grille structure. The upper horizontal bar member has hollow outer ends which are configured to receive a moveable security rod in telescoping relationship. It is highly preferred that the upper horizontal bar member is a hollow tube.
A pair of grille support brackets are provided. The brackets are positionable inside the building—typically on the interior wall surface. Each of the preferred brackets has a hollow security rod-receiving portion positionable in alignment with a respective fixed rod hollow end.
At least one moveable security rod is provided and the at least one rod is slideably positionable within each bracket rod-receiving portion in telescoping relationship thereby interfering with lateral movement of the grille structure. It is most preferred that two security rods are provided. Each rod is positionable within its respective bracket rod-receiving portion and upper horizontal bar member hollow end in a telescoping arrangement.
In one preferred embodiment, each security rod has an outer end and a restraint positioned with respect to each outer end. The restraint abut the brackets and limits the slideable movement of each rod with respect to its respective bracket. The restraint may be fashioned in a decorative pattern such as a fleur-de-lis.
While not required, an opening in the at least one security rod can be provided for receiving a securing device. The opening may be positioned between at least one bracket and one of the laterally-disposed vertical members thereby interfering with sliding movement of the at least one security rod. The securing device can be any suitable device such as a lock.
This advanta
Jansson, Shupe Bridge & Munger, Ltd.
Stodola Daniel P.
Strimbu Gregory J.
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