Door suicide alarm

• US RE44,039 E1
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Door Switch Co.
• Original Assignee: The Door Switch Co.
• Inventors: Cook, Francis E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US13/311,219
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/665
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions

Abstract

A door alarm system is provided which activates an alarm when a door (such as the door to the patient'"'"'s room, a bathroom door within the patient room, etc.) is closed with something (such as a sheet, cord or the like) over the top of door.

Claims

1. A door alarm system comprising:

a door frame having opposed side jambs and a header extending between said jambs, said door frame defining an opening;

a door mounted in said door frame by a hinge assembly to be movable between an open position and a closed position;

said door having a top, bottom and sides;

said door top and said header defining a gap when said door is closed;

a pressure sensitive switch mounted to the door proximate the door top;

the switch extending substantially the full length of the door between the sides of said door;

said switch having a height such that said switch extends into said gap when said door is closed; and

an alarm;

said switch being in communication with said alarm;

whereby, when said switch detects pressure anywhere along its length, said switch will transmit a signal to activate said alarm.

2. The door alarm system of claim 1 further including a bracket mounted to said door;

said bracket mounting said switch to said door.

3. The door alarm system of claim 2 wherein said bracket has a base and opposed side members extending upwardly from said base;

said side members being shaped to receive said switch and hold said switch in said bracket.

4. The door alarm system of claim 2 wherein said bracket is an elongate bracket and extends substantially the full length of said door.

5. The door alarm system of claim 1 wherein said door includes a channel in said door top;

said switch being received in said channel;

the switch extending out a top of said channel.

6. The door alarm system of claim 5 comprising a spacer in said channel below said switch.

7. The door alarm system of claim 1 including a door beam mounted to said door and a head beam mounted to said header;

said door beam having a length substantially the width of said door; and

said header beam having a length substantially equal to the length of said door frame header;

said header beam being spaced above said door beam;

said gap being defined by said door beam and header beam;

said switch being mounted to said door beam to extend into said gap.

8. The door alarm system of claim 1 wherein said alarm is a visual and/or an audible alarm.

9. The door alarm system of claim 1 wherein said alarm is positioned on an outside of a wall in which said door is mounted.

10. The door alarm system of claim 1 wherein said alarm is positioned in a central location of a facility.

11. The door alarm system of claim 1 wherein said switch includes a lead wire to electrically connecting said switch and said alarm;

said lead wire extending along at least a portion of the height of the door proximate the hinge;

said wire passing into said wall to be electrically connected to said alarm.

12. The door alarm system of claim 11 wherein said hinge is a piano hinge and extends downwardly from near the top of said door.

13. The door alarm system of claim 12 wherein said piano hinge extends substantially the full length of said door.

14. The door alarm system of claim 12 wherein said switch lead wire extends down one of an inside surface and an outside surface of said piano hinge.

15. The door alarm system of claim 12 further including a hinge cover applied over said hinge;

said hinge cover being sized and shaped to cover any exposed portion of said switch lead wire.

16. A method for notifying hospital personnel of a suicide attempt by a patient, said method comprising:

providing a door alarm system for a door to or in a patient'"'"'s room;

said door alarm system comprising an elongate pressure sensitive switch proximate the top of a door, said switch extending into a gap above said door;

said switch being in communication with said door alarm system to activate an alarm when said door is closed with said item hanging over the top of the door.

17. A door alarm system configured to notify personnel that a patient is attempting to commit suicide, the door alarm system comprising:

a sensing element configured to be disposed proximate to or on a top portion of a door such that the sensing element extends along a width of the door; and

an alarm configured to be coupled to the sensing element to receive a signal from the sensing element such that the alarm is active when the sensing element detects an item hanging over the top portion of the door being used by a patient in an attempt to commit suicide using the item, the alarm configured to notify personnel that the patient is attempting to commit suicide.

18. The door alarm system of claim 17, wherein the sensing element is configured to extend along a full width of the door between lateral side portions of the door and detect, at any location along the sensing element, the item hanging over the top portion of the door.

19. The door alarm system of claim 17, wherein the sensing element is configured to be mounted on the door.

20. The door alarm system of claim 17, further comprising a switch including the sensing element.

21. The door alarm system of claim 20, wherein the switch is a pressure sensitive switch, and wherein the sensing element of the pressure sensitive switch is configured to detect a pressure applied to the switch anywhere along a length of the switch.

22. The door alarm system of claim 21, wherein the pressure sensitive switch is a ribbon switch.

23. The door alarm system of claim 21, wherein the pressure sensitive switch is configured to be activated by a pressure of less than five pounds per square inch applied to the pressure sensitive switch.

24. The door alarm system of claim 21, wherein the pressure sensitive switch is configured to be activated by a pressure of between three and five pounds per square inch applied to the pressure sensitive switch.

25. The door alarm system of claim 17, further comprising a first lead wire extending from one end of the sensing element and a second lead wire extending from an opposite end of the sensing element.

26. The door alarm system of claim 17, wherein the alarm is configured to indicate a room from which the alarm originates.

27. The door alarm system of claim 17, wherein the alarm includes an audible and/or visual alarm.

28. The door alarm system of claim 17, wherein the sensing element is wired to the alarm.

29. The door alarm system of claim 17, wherein the signal received by the alarm from the sensing element is a wireless signal.

30. The door alarm system of claim 17, wherein the alarm is configured to be coupled to the sensing element to receive the signal from the sensing element such that the alarm is active when the sensing element detects, at any location along the sensing element, the item hanging over the top portion of the door when the door is closed.

40. The door alarm system of claim 17, wherein the sensing element is pressure sensitive along its entire length, and wherein the alarm is configured to be coupled to the sensing element to receive the signal from the sensing element such that the alarm is active when the sensing element detects, at any location along the length of the sensing element, a pressure applied to the sensing element by the item hanging over the top portion of the door.

41. The door alarm system of claim 40, further comprising a housing containing the sensing element.

42. The door alarm system of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first lead wire and the second lead wire includes a resistor for monitoring breaks in a circuit defined by the at least one of the first lead wire and the second lead wire such that operational performance of the door alarm system can be monitored.

31. A method for notifying personnel, via a door alarm system, of an attempt by a patient to commit suicide by hanging, the method comprising:

at a sensing element, detecting presence of an item hanging over a top portion of a door; and

activating an alarm to notify personnel that the item hanging over the top portion of the door is being used by a patient in an attempt to commit suicide by hanging from the door.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein detecting presence of an item hanging over a top portion of a door includes detecting pressure generated by the item hanging over the top portion of the door at any location along the sensing element when the item is used by the patient in an attempt to commit suicide by hanging from the door.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein detecting presence of an item hanging over a top portion of a door includes detecting presence of the item hanging over the top portion of the door at any location along the sensing element when the door is disposed in a closed position.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the sensing element is in communication with the alarm to transmit a signal to activate the alarm.

35. A method for notifying personnel, via a door alarm system, of an attempt by a patient to commit suicide by hanging using an item positioned over a top portion of a door, the method comprising:

disposing a pressure sensitive switch proximate to or on a top portion of a door along a width of the door, wherein the pressure sensitive switch is configured to detect a pressure applied to the pressure sensitive switch anywhere along a length of the pressure sensitive switch; and

coupling an alarm to the pressure sensitive switch to receive a signal from the pressure sensitive switch;

wherein the alarm is active when the pressure sensitive switch detects a pressure applied to the pressure sensitive switch by an item being used by a patient in an attempt to commit suicide by hanging from the door; and

whereby the alarm can be used to notify personnel that the patient is attempting to commit suicide.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein disposing a pressure sensitive switch proximate to or on a top portion of a door along a width of the door includes disposing the pressure sensitive switch along a full width of the door between lateral side portions of the door.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein coupling an alarm to the pressure sensitive switch includes wirelessly coupling the alarm to the sensing element.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein disposing a pressure sensitive switch proximate to or on a top portion of a door along a width of the door includes disposing the pressure sensitive switch on the door.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the alarm is active when the pressure sensitive switch detects the pressure applied to the pressure sensitive switch by the item being used by a patient to commit suicide by hanging from the door when the door is closed.

43. A door alarm system configured to notify personnel of an attempt by a patient to commit suicide by hanging using an item positioned over a top portion of a door, the door alarm system comprising:

a pressure sensitive switch configured to be disposed proximate to or on a top portion of a door and to detect a pressure applied to the pressure sensitive switch anywhere along a length of the pressure sensitive switch; and

an alarm configured to be coupled to the pressure sensitive switch to receive a signal from the pressure sensitive switch, the alarm configured to be activated by the pressure sensitive switch when an item hanging over the top portion of the door is being used by a patient in an attempt to commit suicide by hanging from the door.

44. The door alarm system of claim 43, wherein the pressure sensitive switch is configured to be mounted on the door.

45. The door alarm system of claim 43, wherein the pressure sensitive switch is configured to activate the alarm when the item is hanging over the top portion of the door and the door is closed.

46. The door alarm system of claim 43, further comprising a first lead wire extending from one end of the sensing element and a second lead wire extending from an opposite end of the sensing element, wherein at least one of the first lead wire and the second lead wire includes a resistor for monitoring breaks in a circuit defined by the at least one of the first lead wire and the second lead wire such that operational performance of the door alarm system can be monitored.

47. A door alarm system comprising:

a door frame;

a door coupled to said door frame;

a sensing element disposed proximate to or on a top portion of the door; and

an alarm coupled to the sensing element and configured to receive a signal from the sensing element when the sensing element detects an item being used by a patient in an attempt to commit suicide by hanging from the door, the alarm configured to notify personnel in response to the received signal of the attempt to commit suicide.

48. The door alarm system of claim 47, further comprising a pressure sensitive switch including the sensing element, and wherein the sensing element of the pressure sensitive switch is configured to detect a pressure applied to the switch anywhere along a length of the switch.

49. The door alarm system of claim 47, wherein the alarm is configured to be active when the sensing element detects the item hanging over the top portion of the door when the door is closed.