Door catch

• US 10,077,589 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2017
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solar Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Gregory Header
• Inventors: Header, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Merlino, Alyson M
• Application Number:
  US15/688,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20170356224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/46 in which the wing or a member fixed thereon is engaged by a movable fastening member in a fixed position; in which a movable fastening member mounted on the wing engages a stationary member
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/52 comprising a snap, catch, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/04 Ball or roller catches
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/02 specially for preventing the slamming of swinging wings during final closing movement, e.g. jamb stops

Abstract

Disclosed is a door catch that can help to prevent door sag, especially for heavy or tall residential or commercial doors, and provides for post-installation catch tension adjustment without removal or adjustment of mounting members. In one aspect, the door catch can include a ball catch base, a threaded ball plunger assembly, a catch bumper, and a bumper base. In another aspect, the catch bumper and the bumper base can optionally be combined into a single catch bar bracket. The ball plunger assembly is adjustably mounted within a threaded aperture of ball catch base. A ball captive in one end of the ball plunger assembly engages a detent in the catch bumper, or catch bar bracket, providing friction to hold the door open. The position of the ball plunger assembly can be adjusted vertically to increase or decrease the tension between the detent and the ball plunger assembly.

Claims

1. A door catch, mountable to a first mounting structure and a second mounting structure, wherein at least one of the first mounting structure and the second mounting structure is a door, comprising:

a ball plunger assembly including a body, a ball, and a spring;

the body includes a threaded exterior, a first end with a tool-receiving pattern, a second end opposite the first end, and an interior cavity open to the second end;

the ball is captive within the interior cavity and biased by the spring to partially extend out of the second end;

a catch bar bracket including a first mounting portion and a catch bar, the catch bar extends rigidly away from the first mounting portion and including a first planar surface in which a detent is formed;

a ball catch base including a second mounting portion, the base portion including a second planar surface projecting away from the second mounting portion and having a threaded aperture therethrough, the ball plunger assembly threaded into the threaded aperture with the ball extending out of the second planar surface, the base portion including a base portion end outer surface that is distal to the second mounting portion and is at least partially radiused about a vertical axis;

the first mounting portion being mountable on a first vertical surface of the first mounting structure, the second mounting portion being mountable on a second vertical surface of the second mounting structure so that the ball and the detent frictionally engage with each other to hold the the first mounting structure or the second mounting structure in an open position, the first planar surface and the second planar surface are each horizontally disposed; and

a force of impinging of the ball against the detent is adjustable by rotating the body within the threaded aperture, causing the ball to raise or lower with respect to the second planar surface.

2. The door catch of claim 1 wherein the catch bar extends non-adjustably away from the first mounting portion.

3. The door catch of claim 1, wherein:

the first mounting portion includes a fastener-receiving aperture configured to receive a fastener so as to mount the first mounting portion in a fixed and non-adjustable position relative to the first mounting structure.

4. The door catch of claim 1, wherein:

the ball catch base is an L-shaped bracket with the second mounting portion forming a vertical leg of the L-shape of the bracket and the base portion forming a horizontal leg of the L-shape of the bracket.

5. The door catch of claim 1, wherein:

the entirely of the catch bar is rigid.

6. The door catch of claim 1, wherein the first mounting structure is a first door and the second mounting structure is a second door.

7. The door catch of claim 1, wherein the first mounting structure comprises a first door, a wall, or doorframe and the second mounting structure comprises a second door, a wall, or a wall frame.

8. A door catch mountable to a first mounting structure and a second mounting structure, wherein at least one of the first mounting structure and the second mounting structure comprises a door, comprising:

a ball plunger assembly including a body, a ball, and a spring;

the body includes a threaded exterior, a first end with a tool-receiving pattern, a second end opposite the first end, and an interior cavity open to the second end;

the ball is captive within the interior cavity and biased by the spring to partially extend out of the second end;

a catch bar bracket including a first mounting portion and a catch bar, the first mounting portion and the catch bar together form a one-piece rigid structure, the catch bar includes a first planar surface in which a detent is formed;

a ball catch base including a second mounting portion and a base portion, the base portion including a second planar surface projecting away from the second mounting portion and having a threaded aperture therethrough, the ball plunger assembly threaded into the threaded aperture with the ball extending out of the second planar surface, the base portion including a base portion end outer surface that is distal to the second mounting portion and is at least partially radiused about a vertical axis;

the first mounting portion being mountable on a first vertical surface of the first mounting structure, the second mounting portion being mountable on a second vertical surface of the second mounting structure so that the ball and the detent frictionally engage with one another to hold the the first mounting structure or the second mounting structure in an open position, and the first planar surface and the second planar surface are each horizontally disposed; and

a force of impinging of the ball against the detent is adjustable by rotating the body within the threaded aperture, causing the ball to raise or lower with respect to the second planar surface.

9. The door catch of claim 8 wherein the catch bar extends non-adjustably away from the first mounting portion.

10. The door catch of claim 8, wherein:

the first mounting portion includes a fastener-receiving aperture configured to receive a fastener so as to mount the first mounting portion in a fixed and non-adjustable position relative to the first mounting structure.

11. The door catch of claim 8, wherein:

the ball catch base is an L-shaped bracket with the second mounting portion forming a vertical leg of the L-shape of the bracket and the base portion forming a horizontal leg of the L-shape of the bracket.

12. The door catch of claim 8, wherein the first mounting structure is a first door and the second mounting structure is a second door.

13. The door catch of claim 8, wherein the first mounting structure comprises a first door, a wall, or doorframe and the second mounting structure comprises a second door, a wall, or a wall frame.