Portable alarm device usable on inwardly or outwardly opening doors

• US 3,878,539 A
• Filed: 04/19/1974
• Issued: 04/15/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chadyeane Gooding
• Original Assignee: Chadyeane Gooding
• Inventors: Gooding, Chadyeane
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Application Number:
  US05/462,416
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 340/283,274,276 200/61.93,61.81 248/298
• US Class Current: 340/546
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind

Abstract

An alarm device to detect the opening of a door comprises a housing member which preferably includes a cover member and a base member to permit ready access to the interior of the housing. The housing contains an alarm means which comprises in a series circuit a source of electrical energy, such as batteries, a master power switch having an actuating member on the outside of the housing, a signaling member for emitting a warning signal, and an alarm actuating member of the type which comprises a coiled spring body portion extending from the housing and capable of electrically contacting a conductive member within the housing to actuate the circuit to cause the warning signal to be sounded when the power switch is in an activated position. A cap member is secured to the coiled spring arm and includes an actuating tip which extends laterally beyond a mounting surface of the housing so that when the housing is mounted relative to the door surface, and the door is in its closed position, the actuating tip is caused to be displaced slightly so that the coil arm is free from electrical contact within the housing thus opening the series circuit. When the door is opened, the alarm switch is returned to its normal position thus closing the series circuit and actuating an alarm. A generally L-shaped mounting bracket member defines a body portion and a transversely extending lip portion. When mounted on inwardly opening doors, the downwardly extending lip portion and bracket member envelop the door to secure the housing thereon. For installation on outwardly opening doors, the bracket member is preferably reversed so that the lip portion extends upwardly and is secured to the frame of the door in such a manner that the rear surface of the housing is flush with the surface of the door in its normally closed position.

Claims

1. In a portable, easily securable alarm device adapted to be mounted relative to a door-like surface to provide an indication that said surface has been laterally moved a predetermined distance, said device being of the type which comprises a housing, alarm means secured with said housing, said alarm means comprising a source of electrical energy, a master power switch having an actuating member accessible from outside said housing, a signaling member for emitting a warning signal when actuated, and an alarm actuating member comprising a coiled spring body portion secured at about one end thereof, and acting as an spring-like switch contact in an electrical circuit in said housing which includes said source, said power switch, and said signaling member to actuate said signaling member when said spring body portion is in a first electrical position and said master switch is in a first position for actuating said circuit, said actuating member further including a cap member fixedly secured to the end of said coil arm opposite said end, said cap member having an actuating surface which extends beyond the plane of a mounting surface of said housing to an extent sufficient to disengage said coil arm from a fixed switch contact cooperating with said spring-like contact when said door-like surface is in a closed position, said mounting surface abutting said door-like surface, the improvement comprising means for mounting said housing relative to said door-like surface, said mounting means including a positionable, elongated bracket member having a body portion which includes an elongated slot and a lip portion which extends transversely of said body portion, said mounting means further including means cooperating with said slotted body portion for adjustably securing said bracket member to said housing at any position along said elongated slot so that said lip portion is positioned the desired distance from said mounting surface of said housing.

2. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bracket is generally L-shaped so that said lip portion is adapted to contact one side of a door.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said lip portion further includes openings therein for receiving fastening members.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in further combination with an inwardly-opening door wherein said device is mounted to said door so that said lip portion contacts a first surface of said door and said mounting surface of said device contacts a second surface of said door in such a manner that said actuating surface contacts a fixed portion above the door to free said actuating member from contact with said fixed contact.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in further combination with an outwardly-opening door wherein the body portion of said bracket member engages the top of said door and the lip portion of said bracket member engages the surface of said door opposite said device.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said bracket member is secured to said housing in such a manner that said lip portion extends upwardly and said bracket member extends relatively parallel to the mounting surface of said device so that said mounting member may be fixedly secured to a door frame.