SAFETY DOOR, DOOR LOCK AND DOOR LOCK RELEASE MECHANISM

• US 20090249693A1
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sadeq Ahmed Al-Qassem
• Original Assignee: Sadeq Ahmed Al-Qassem
• Inventors: Al-Qassem, Sadeq Ahmed
• Granted Patent: US 7,770,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/13
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 45/06 Electric alarm locks E05B45/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0014 to prevent opening by children E05B13/00 takes precedence; child-proof container closures B65D50/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/10 for panic or emergency doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses

Abstract

A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism for preventing a child from opening a door while permitting an adult to do so includes a weight sensor and a height sensor for unlocking a locked door. An alarm is used to indicate a child'"'"'s attempt to open the door and a sensor for sensing a dangerous condition such as smoke or carbon monoxide is also provided for unlocking the door in the event of a dangerous condition and activating a more discernable alarm at that time.

Claims

1. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism for preventing a child from opening the door while allowing an adult to do so, said safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism comprising:

a door having first and second sides disposed in a door way between two areas for allowing access to and/or egress from one of said two areas to a second of said two areas, a door lock for preventing said door from being opened and a lock release mechanism for releasing said door lock so that said door may be freely opened;

a first sensing means disposed on one side of the door for sensing the weight of an individual in an area adjacent to one of said sides of said door;

a second sensing means disposed on said one side of said door for sensing the height of an individual in the area adjacent to said one side of said door;

memory means and means for inputting a first pre-selected weight and a first pre-selected height into said memory means;

means for automatically releasing said locking mechanism when said first sensing means senses a weight in excess of a first pre-selected weight and/or said second sensing means senses a height in excess of said first pre-selected height;

a first alarm and means for activating said first alarm when an individual with a weight less than the first pre-selected weight or a height less than the first pre-selected height attempts to open the door; and

means for sensing a dangerous condition and means for releasing said locking mechanism when a dangerous condition is sensed and activating an alarm to thereby indicate the dangerous condition.

2. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 1 in which the doorway includes a door jam for engagement by said door lock and in which said door lock release mechanism is disposed in said door jam.

3. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 1 in which the doorway includes a door jam for engagement by said door lock and in which said door lock release mechanism is disposed in said door.

4. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 1 in which said alarm provides an audible warning.

5. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 4 which includes a second alarm for indicating a dangerous condition and wherein said second alarm is a continuing audible alarm with a different sound than said first alarm.

6. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 1 in which said first sensing means includes a pressure mat.

7. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 5 in which said means for sensing a dangerous condition detects smoke and/or carbon monoxide and activates said lock release mechanism and a second alarm when smoke and/or carbon monoxide is detected.

8. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 5 in which said second alarm includes a distinct visual warning.

9. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 1 in which said second sensing means for sensing the height of an individual includes a light emitter and a photo sensor.

10. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 1 in which said door lock release mechanism is actuated by a combination of first sensing means sensing a weight in excess of a first pre-selected weight and said second means sensing a height in excess of said first pre-selected height or when said third sensor detects a dangerous condition.

11. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 1 which includes means for telephoning an emergency telephone number upon sensing a dangerous condition.

12. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 7 which includes a 12VDC circuit for energizing said door lock release mechanism.

13. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 12 which includes a transformer and four diodes for converting 230/120VAC to 12VDC.

14. A safety door, door lock and door lock release mechanism according to claim 15 that includes a Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) for actuating the lock release mechanism