U.S. patent number 3,861,182 [Application Number 05/418,414] was granted by the patent office on 1975-01-21 for protective keyhole cover.
Invention is credited to Herb W. Skinner.
United States Patent |
3,861,182 |
Skinner |
January 21, 1975 |
PROTECTIVE KEYHOLE COVER
Abstract
This invention consists of a keyhole cover used to prevent the
entry of water, snow, or moisture into the keyholes of car doors
during the winter season, for the purpose of preventing the
freezing of the locks. It consists of a rubber suction cup
containing therein a permanent magnet by means of which the cover
can be attached to the face of the lock and the immediate area
around it.
Inventors: |
Skinner; Herb W. (Windsor,
Ontario, CA) |
Family
ID: |
23658026 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/418,414 |
Filed: |
November 23, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
70/455 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05B
77/34 (20130101); Y10T 70/8649 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
E05B
17/00 (20060101); E05b 017/18 () |
Field of
Search: |
;70/455,247,423,424,426,428 ;292/251.5 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wolfe; Robert L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Krassov; Charles
Claims
Having described my invention what I claim is:
1. A cover for a car door or trunk keyhole which is normally
exposed to freezing temperatures, comprising a cup made of rubber
or similar plastic material; a round shaped permanent magnet of a
diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the keyhole face
plate, centrally located within and towards the rear of said cup;
in combination with a drilled and tapped boss extending from the
center of said magnet, to which the said cup is hermetically
attached; and a detachable handle being attached to the said cover
by being screwed into said boss.
Description
This invention relates generally to keyhole covers where such
keyholes are exposed to outdoors conditions, and particularly to
keyholes located on car doors.
Every car driver who lives in temperate or cold areas has at one
time or other experienced difficulties in opening the car doors
after the car has been exposed to freezing temperature. This is due
to snow, water, or moist air entering the lock through the keyhole,
freezing, and thus preventing the movement of the moving components
of the lock.
The object of this invention is to provide a water-proof and
airproof cover for the keyhole to prevent the entry of snow, water,
or moist air into the lock, so that when the car is exposed to
freezing temperatures, the dry interior of the lock is not affected
by this condition.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a cover which
adheres to the keyhole and its immediate area by both magnetic
attraction and atmospheric pressure. In the case where the key
entrance face plate is magnetic in nature, the cover is held to the
said entrance by both the magnetic action and the atmospheric
pressure. If however, the key entrance is of a non-magnetic metal,
the atmospheric pressure alone is sufficient to keep the keyhole
covered.
This is accomplished in the invention by providing both a permanent
magnet, and a suction cup to the said cover.
In describing the invention reference will be made to the attached
drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an elevation of the invention partly in section.
FIG. 2 is an elevation showing the invention attached to the door
of a car, and
FIG. 3 shows a variation in the invention.
In the drawings is shown a keyhole cover consisting of a suction
cup 1 which is made of rubber or other similar material. Within the
suction cup 1 is a permanent magnet 2 which is preferably round in
shape, and somewhat larger in diameter than the average car
keyhole. Centrally located on the magnet and attached to it is a
cylindrical boss 3 which is drilled and tapped. A short handle 4
which terminates into a threaded pin 5, is provided to the cover by
means of which the cover can be forcibly removed from the
keyhole.
The suction cup 1 is hermetically attached to the outside of the
boss 3; and the handle 4 is attached to the cover by screwing the
threaded pin 5 into the boss 3.
During the winter season, when a car is parked outdoors, the cover
is squeezed against the keyhole face 6 of the door or trunk surface
7. If the face 6 is made of a magnetically attractive metal, the
magnet 2 will adhere to the said face, and at the same time the
suction cup 1 will adhere to the surface 7 by suction in the usual
manner.
Where the keyhole 6 is not magnetic, the oversize magnet 2 will
adhere to the metal of the door 7 surrounding the keyhole, thus
there would still be magnetic and suction adhesion between the
cover and the door; and if suction cannot be provided to the cup 1
because of air entering through the keyhole 6, the cup 1 would then
serve as a closure to the keyhole to prevent the entry of moisture,
simply by contact with the door surface.
FIG. 3 shows a variation in the invention, in which the rubber cup
1 is replaced by a similar cup 8 made of a magnetized metal, so
that the entire cover can be placed over the keyhole and be
magnetically held to the door. In order to provide good closure and
also to prevent marring of the car paint, the rim of the cup 8 is
covered with a thin layer of plastic material 9.
As a precaution against someone removing the cover in the absence
of the driver of the car, the handle 4 can be unscrewed from the
cover and retained by the driver, so that when the driver wishes to
remove the cover he screws the handle back into the cover and pulls
the cover off. Where such precautions are unnecessary, the handle 4
can remain attached to the cover at all times.
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