Patch for door pivot

Abstract

The invention is a patch for a pivot hinge having an attachment lug, the lug being a substantially rectangular prism having a plate face and a cover plate attached to the attachment lug at the plate face, the cover plate being a substantially flat rectangular prism. The lug has two through holes that penetrate two opposing faces of the lug, other than the plate face, the holes being chamfered at one end and threaded along the remaining, non-chamfered portion. The plate is substantially larger than the plate face of the lug, and the lug and the plate consist of a single piece of unitary construction, and the thickness of the plate perpendicular to the plate face of the lug is 1/16th of an inch.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to hardware for doors, in particular patches for holes that are left when door-related hardware is removed from the door and door frame.

2. Related Art

Pivot hinges are a popular mechanism for supporting doors. However, when such pivot mechanisms are replaced by a different style of hinge, e.g. pin-style hinge, there is either a hole where the pivot hinge components were mounted, or the pivot hinge components are left in place. In either case the hole or unused hardware is aesthetically undesirable. Furthermore, any holes left in the door and/or frame after the removal of hinge components could become a point of entry for things that could damage the door and/or building, including water, debris, or small animals. There is currently no product available that provides an aesthetically pleasing cover for holes left after removal of pivot hinge components, which is also securely fastened and can be removed later.

The present invention solves this problem by providing a cover, or patch, for the holes left behind after removal of pivot hinge components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment this invention is a patch for a hole left after removal of a door-related hardware component, having an attachment lug which has a plate face and a cover plate attached to the attachment lug at the plate face.

In another embodiment, the invention is a patch for a pivot hinge having an attachment lug, the lug being a substantially rectangular prism having a plate face and a cover plate attached to the attachment lug at the plate face, the cover plate being a substantially flat rectangular prism, wherein the lug has a plurality of through holes that penetrate two opposing faces, other than the plate face.

In a further embodiment, the invention is a patch for a pivot hinge having an attachment lug, the lug being a substantially rectangular prism having a plate face and a cover plate attached to the attachment lug at the plate face, the cover plate being a substantially flat rectangular prism. The lug has two through holes that penetrate two opposing faces of the lug, other than the plate face, the holes being chamfered at one end and threaded along the remaining, non-chamfered portion. The plate is substantially larger than the plate face of the lug, and the lug and the plate consist of a single piece of unitary construction, and the thickness of the plate perpendicular to the plate face of the lug is 1/16^th of an inch.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of one embodiment of the patch of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the inventive patch.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the inventive patch.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the patch of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the patch of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of the patch of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the patch of the present invention, showing the patch attached to a door frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

A pivot patch 10 comprises at least one lug 20 and a plate 30 attached to the lug (FIG. 1). Patch 10 is made of any material suitable to the application including wood, metal, or plastic, or a combination of materials. Lug 20 can be made of a first material for strength and plate 30 of a second material for aesthetic reasons, i.e. to match the surrounding material. To the extent that lug 20 and plate 30 are made of separate materials, the two pieces are securely adhered to one another, e.g. by adhesive or fasteners. Lug 20 is also called the attachment lug since it attaches patch 10 to the door frame. The surface of lug 20 that attaches to plate 30 is called the plate face, regardless of whether patch 10 is constructed of a single piece or two or more separate pieces.

Lug 20 is of substantially similar proportions to the lug of the pivot that was removed and which patch 10 is replacing. The lug should be of a size and shape to fit into the hole left behind by the removed pivot hinge component. In some embodiments (FIGS. 1-5) lug 20 is a substantially rectangular prism, although this invention encompasses any shape and size that fits into the hole left by the door hardware and which permits secure attachment. In one embodiment lug 20 has one or more through holes 40 (FIGS. 1-3) to allow fasteners (not shown) to be inserted, allowing for secure holding of patch 10 to the door frame while permitting removal of patch 10 at a later date by removal of the fasteners. In another embodiment where there is no need for later removal of patch 10, lug 20 (with or without holes) can be more permanently held in place by the use of more permanent means such as adhesives or welding. When present, holes 40 are preferably substantially mating with those of the removed pivot hinge component, to avoid having to make new holes in the door frame to accommodate patch 10. Nonetheless the present invention also encompasses patches in which holes 40 are not substantially mating with the holes in the door frame and new holes must be made in the door frame to secure patch 10.

In one embodiment holes 40 have threads 45 (FIG. 2) to accommodate the respective fasteners. In a further embodiment holes 40 have chamfers 50 (FIGS. 1-3) or other to allow the heads of the fasteners to be countersunk and thus flush with the surface of lug 20. The present invention also encompasses non-chamfered countersink holes that can accommodate fastener heads having straight, rather than tapered, sides.

Plate 30 is of a size, shape, and finish to cover any hole left after removal of the pivot hinge components. In one embodiment (FIG. 4) plate 30 is no larger than the size of lug 20, being essentially the same as the plate face of lug 20. In another embodiment plate 30 extends outward beyond the edges of lug 20 (FIGS. 1-3). In still another embodiment, plate 30 is smaller than lug 20 (FIG. 5). Other configurations of plate 30, such as a plate that only partially overlaps with the lug, are also encompassed within the present invention.

Lug 20 in one embodiment is attached off-center on plate 30 (FIGS. 1-3). In some embodiments plate 30 is flush with the door frame from which the pivot hinge component was removed and thus plate 30 in this case must be made of substantially mating proportions to fit into the hole in the door frame; similarly the location of plate 30 relative to lug 20 is adjusted to accommodate the relative positions of the holes left by the pivot hinge. In other embodiments plate 30 stands proud of the door frame surface, in which case the exact size of plate 30 is less critical, although plate 30 should be large enough to cover any adjacent holes, grooves, or other marks left near the hinge hole, primarily for aesthetic reasons although also to prevent entry of water or debris into the holes. In the latter embodiment where plate 30 stands proud, the corners on the outer face of plate 30 may be rounded or chamfered. In general plate 30 must be sized and positioned so as not to interfere with the operation of the door or hinge components that remain after removal of the pivot hinge.

In one embodiment plate 30 is approximately 1/16^th inch thick and extends outward from lug in all directions (FIGS. 1-3), although not equally in all directions. In one embodiment plate 30 is approximately 1 11/32 inch× 15/16 inch. Lug in one embodiment is approximately 1 3/32 inch× 7/16 inch on the plate face and extends outward approximately 23/32 inch from the plate face. Holes 40 in one embodiment are approximately 3/16 inch diameter and their center-to-center spacing is approximately ⅝ inch.

In practice patch 10 is used as follows. Hinge components are removed. A patch is selected such that the lug of the patch fits into the space left by the lug of the removed hinge component. The patch is also selected so that the patch has a plate with a size that covers any hole left by the removed hinge component. The patch is also selected so that the plate portion of the patch has a finish that complements or matches that of the surrounding door frame, if desired. Finally the patch is selected so that the plate and lug do not interfere with the operation of the door including any locking, hinge, or other components.

After selecting the appropriate patch, the patch is installed into the door frame, preferably using removable fasteners such as screws or bolts (FIG. 7). In a preferred embodiment the holes and fasteners match the existing holes that were used to fasten the replaced hinge components. In another embodiment the patch is more permanently attached to the door frame by means such as adhesives or welding the lug to the frame. In another embodiment (FIG. 6) patch 10 comes without holes and holes are drilled on-site to match the holes in the door frame. Alternatively, if patch 10 is made from a softer and more easily penetrable material such as plastic, fasteners are driven straight through patch 10 in appropriately mating locations without pre-drilling any holes.

Although the above-mentioned embodiments have been presented in the context of a patch for a door frame, the same principles apply equally well to patches to cover holes remaining after removal of hinge components from the door itself. Furthermore, the same principles also apply to patching holes in the door and the door frame left after removal of other door-related hardware such as locks, latches, doorstops, and automatic door opening and closing mechanisms. The present invention encompasses patches for holes left by all such door-related mechanisms.

As various modifications could be made to the exemplary embodiments, as described above with reference to the corresponding illustrations, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A patch for a hole left after removal of a door-related hardware component, comprising:

an attachment lug having a plate face; and

a cover plate attached to said attachment lug at said plate face.

2. The patch according to claim 1 wherein said cover plate and said attachment lug are of a unitary construction.

3. The patch according to claim 1 wherein said cover plate is substantially the same dimensions as said plate face.

4. The patch according to claim 1 wherein said cover plate is substantially larger than said plate face.

5. The patch according to claim 1 wherein said attachment lug has at least one hole extending therethrough.

6. The patch according to claim 5 wherein said hole is threaded.

7. The patch according to claim 5 wherein said hole is chamfered at one end.

8. The patch according to claim 1 wherein said patch has two holes extending therethrough.

9. The patch according to claim 8 wherein each of said holes is chamfered at one end.

10. The patch according to claim 9 wherein each of said holes is threaded.

11. The patch according to claim 1 wherein said door-related hardware component is a pivot hinge.

12. A patch for a pivot hinge, comprising:

an attachment lug, said lug being a substantially rectangular prism having a plate face; and

a cover plate attached to said attachment lug at said plate face, said cover plate being a substantially flat rectangular prism;

wherein said lug has a plurality of through holes that penetrate two opposing faces, other than said plate face.

13. The patch of claim 12 wherein said lug has two through holes.

14. The patch of claim 13 wherein said holes are threaded.

15. The patch of claim 14 wherein said holes are chamfered on at least one end.

16. The patch of claim 12 wherein said plate is substantially larger than said plate face of said lug.

17. The patch of claim 16 wherein said lug and said plate are a single piece of unitary construction.

18. The patch of claim 17 wherein a dimension of said plate normal to said plate face of said lug is 1/16th inches.

19. The patch of claim 12 wherein said lug and said plate are a single piece of unitary construction.

20. A patch for a pivot hinge, comprising:

an attachment lug, said lug being a substantially rectangular prism having a plate face;

a cover plate attached to said attachment lug at said plate face, said cover plate being a substantially flat rectangular prism;

wherein said lug has two through holes that penetrate two opposing faces, other than said plate face, said holes being chamfered at one end and threaded along the remaining, non-chamfered portion; and wherein said plate is substantially larger than said plate face of said lug, said lug and said plate are a single piece of unitary construction, and a dimension of said plate normal to said plate face of said lug is 1/16th inches.