Door catch

• US 9,228,387 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• 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 MARIE
• Application Number:
  US13/960,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20150040348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 292/73, 292/75, 292/77, 292/79, 292/193, 292/340, 292/341.15, 292/341.18, 292/341.19, 292/252, 292/DIG.15, 292/DIG.19, 292/DIG.57, 292/DIG.58
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, comprising:

a ball plunger assembly including a body with a threaded exterior, a bottom surface with a tool receiving pattern and an interior cavity open to a top portion of the body, and a ball captive within the interior cavity and biased by a spring to partially extend out of the top portion of the body;

a catch bar bracket including a first mounting portion, a catch bar integrally formed with the first mounting portion and projecting away from the first mounting portion, the catch bar including 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 base portion end outer surface distal from the second mounting portion and radiused about a vertical axis and a second planar surface projecting away from the second mounting portion to the base portion end outer surface with a threaded aperture therethrough, the ball plunger assembly threaded into the threaded aperture with the ball extending out of the second planar surface;

the catch bar bracket and the ball catch base being mountable on opposing vertical surfaces of a wall structure and a door by the first and second mounting portions so that the ball and the detent frictionally engage to hold the door in an open position, wherein when the ball and the detent are frictionally engaged with one another, the first planar surface and the second planar face one another and are parallel to each other while extending orthogonally to a corresponding one of the opposing vertical surfaces of the door and the wall structure; 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 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 one of the wall structure and the door.

3. The door catch of claim 1, wherein:

the catch bar is a downward facing L-bracket; and

the first mounting portion is configured as a planar back with respect to the downward facing L-bracket.

4. A door catch, comprising:

a ball plunger assembly including a body with a threaded exterior, bottom surface with a tool receiving pattern, an interior cavity open to a top portion of the body, and a ball captive within the body within the interior cavity and biased by a spring to partially extend out of the top portion of the body;

a catch bar bracket including a first mounting portion and a catch bar, the catch bar bracket comprising a one-piece rigid structure, wherein the catch bar is constrained to project away from the first mounting portion along a fixed axis and 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 with 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 comprising a base portion end outer surface that is distal to the first mounting portion and radiused about a vertical axis;

the catch bar bracket and the ball catch base being mountable by the first and second mounting portions on opposing vertical surfaces of a wall structure and a door so that the ball and the detent frictionally engage to hold the door in an open position, wherein when the ball and the detent are frictionally engaged within one another, the first planar surface and the second planar face one another and are parallel to each other while extending horizontally away from a corresponding one of the opposing vertical surfaces of the wall structure and the door; 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.