ADJUSTABLE WIDTH BARRIER

• US 20120144745A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Munchkin Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Munchkin Incorporated
• Inventors: Dunn, Steven B., Hatherill, Mark A., Birkert, Thomas, Yates, Adam John, Gastelum, Rodolfo
• Granted Patent: US 8,578,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/55
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/035 Devices for use in keeping domestic animals, e.g. fittings in housings or dog beds
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 11/02 Gates; Doors
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2003/7096 with possibilities to alter the extension of the door
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/06 collapsible or foldable, e.g. of the bellows or lazy-tongs type bellows-type doors E06B3/94; roll-type grilles E06B9/18
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/0653 stored side by side in the closing plane

Abstract

A barrier has an expandable width barrier having opposing first and second ends. A locking arm is pivotably coupled to the expandable width barrier at the first end and slidably coupled to the expandable width barrier at the second end. The locking arm may be an adjustable-length construction. The pivoting of the locking arm causes the barrier to move between locked and unlocked states. When the locking arm is pivoted to lock the barrier, it causes the barrier to linearly expand a supplemental amount and fits the barrier to opposing sides of a passageway opening.

Claims

16. A gate, comprising:

a first panel and a second panel coupled together for relative linear slidable motion therebetween;

an adjustable-length locking member having a first end pivotally coupled to the first panel and a second end slidably coupled to the second panel;

wherein the gate is movable between a retracted position with the adjustable-length locking member having a first length and an expanded position with the adjustable-length locking member having a second length greater than the first length; and

wherein the gate is movable between locked and unlocked states in the extended position responsive to pivoting of the adjustable-length locking member about the first end, the pivoting of the adjustable-length locking member causing the first and second panels to slidably move relative to each other.

1. A gate, comprising:

an expandable barrier; and

a locking member having a first end pivotally attached to the expandable barrier at a first location and a second end slidably coupled to the expandable barrier at a second location wherein the second end is rotatable about the first location to extend the expandable barrier for horizontal movement.

2. The gate according to claim 1, wherein the locking member has an adjustable length configuration.

3. The gate according to claim 2, wherein the locking member is telescopic.

4. The gate according to claim 2, wherein the locking member includes first and second members, the second member including a biased stop member configured to engage the first member at a plurality of incrementally fixed positions along the length of the first member.

5. The gate according to claim 2, wherein the second end of the locking member is maintained at an inclined relationship with respect to the first location during expansion of the expandable barrier.

6. The gate according to claim 1, wherein the second location of the expandable barrier includes a guide providing a track configured to receive the second end of the locking member.

7. The gate according to claim 6, wherein the second end of the locking member further comprises a slidable member coupled to the guide and configured to travel in the track.

8. The gate according to claim 7, further comprising a detent engagable with the slidable member for holding the slidable member in a locked position.

9. The gate according to claim 7, further comprising a detent engagable with the slidable member for maintaining the locking member in an inclined position with respect to the first location, during expansion of the expandable barrier.

10. The gate according to claim 7, further comprising a detent for providing a tactile indication responsive to engagement with the slidable member.

11. The gate according to claim 7, further comprising a detent for providing an audible indication responsive to engagement with the slidable member.

12. The gate according to claim 7, further comprising one or more laterally disposed detents on the guide, wherein the detents are selectively engagable with the slidable member.

13. The gate according to claim 7, wherein the slidable member comprises a wheel rotatably coupled to the guide.

14. The gate according to claim 6, wherein the locking member has an adjustable-length configuration and includes first and second members, wherein the first member includes a plurality of linearly spaced ridges along its length and the second member includes a biased stop member configured to engage the first member at a select one of the plurality of linearly spaced ridges.

15. The gate according to claim 1, wherein a distance of the horizontal movement is a function of a length of the locking member defined between the first location and the second location, and an angle of rotation of the locking member with respect to the first location.

17. The gate according to claim 16, wherein the first panel includes at least one compressible member on a lateral end and the second panel includes at least one compressible member on a lateral end opposed from the lateral end of the first panel having the compressible member.

18. The gate according to claim 17, wherein the second panel includes a guide having a track which is configured to receive the second end of the adjustable-length locking member.

19. The gate according to claim 18, wherein the second end of the adjustable-length locking member further comprises a slidable member movably coupled to the track of the guide, and wherein the slidable member travels in the track when the gate is moved between locked and unlocked states in its extended position.

20. The gate according to claim 19, further comprising a detent engagable with the slidable member for holding the gate in the locked state.

21. The gate according to claim 19, further comprising a detent engagable with the slidable member for maintaining the adjustable-length locking member in the unlocked position when gate is moved from the retracted state to the expanded state.

22. The gate according to claim 19, further comprising a detent for providing a tactile indication responsive to engagement with the slidable member.

23. The gate according to claim 19, further comprising a detent for providing an audible indication responsive to engagement with the slidable member.

24. The gate according to claim 19, further comprising one or more detents being laterally disposed on the guide, wherein the detents are selectively engagable with the slidable member.

25. The gate according to claim 18, wherein a horizontal distance between opposing ends of the first and second panels changes, when the gate is moved between locked and unlocked states, as a function of a length of the track of the guide and a length of the adjustable-length locking member.

26. The gate according to claim 16, wherein the adjustable-length locking member is in a substantially horizontal position when the gate is expanded and in the locked state, and wherein the second end of the adjustable-length locking member moves in a substantially vertical direction relative to the second panel during movement of the gate from the locked state to the unlocked state by pivoting the adjustable-length locking member about its first end.

29. The gate according to claim 16, wherein the adjustable-length locking member further comprises a stop member thereon to control the second length.

28. The gate according to claim 16, wherein the adjustable-length locking member further comprises a first member and a second member, wherein the first member includes a plurality of linearly spaced ridges along its length and the second member includes a biased stop member configured to engage the first member at a select one of the plurality of linearly spaced ridges.

30. The gate according to claim 16, wherein the adjustable-length locking member includes a first visual indicator and the second panel includes a second visual indicator;

wherein the first visual indicator and the second visual indicator are configured to visually align together for indicating the locked or unlocked state.

31. The gate according to claim 16, wherein a horizontal distance between opposing ends of the first and second panels changes when the gate is moved between locked and unlocked states as a function of a length of the adjustable-length locking member and an angle of rotation of the adjustable-length locking member between the locked and unlocked states.

32. The gate according to claim 16, wherein the adjustable-length locking member is telescopic.

29-1. The gate according to claim 16, wherein the second end of the adjustable-length locking member includes a visual indicator for providing visual user feedback of at least one of the locked or unlocked states.