Under door draft blocker
View Patent ↗A draft blocker using flexible linear elements contained in an envelope is easily installed upon a door or window. The draft blocker comprises linear elements contained in cavities adapted to ride against the inside and outside of the door thereby sealing the gap between a door and preventing drafts. The draft blocker uses one or more envelope elements allowing insertion of the linear elements at a position other than the ends and has end straps which engage the edges of the door bottom holding the draft blocker in place.
1. A draft blocker adapted for use under a door or window having a width comprising:
a first flexible linear element having a first length with a first end and an opposite second end;
a second flexible linear element having a second length with a first end and an opposite second end;
an envelope housing;
a first linear cavity having a first closed end and a second closed end, said first linear cavity receives the first flexible linear element;
a second linear cavity having a first closed end and a second closed end, said second linear cavity receives the second flexible linear element;
a web interconnecting the first linear cavity and the second linear cavity in generally spaced parallel relationship;
at least one envelope opening to allow passage of the flexible linear elements into the envelope communicating with the first linear cavity and the second linear cavity, the envelope opening being positioned along the envelope housing and spaced from the cavity closed ends such that when at least one linear cavity receives the flexible linear element, the first closed end of at least one of the linear cavities is to be held against the first end of the flexible linear element and the second closed end of that same linear cavity is held against the second end of the flexible linear element such that the linear cavity is pulled into snug engagement with the linear element.
2. The draft blocker of claim 1 wherein the envelope is constructed of flexible sheet material joined to form the linear cavities and the web.
3. The draft blocker of claim 2 wherein said first linear cavity first closed end is connected to said second linear cavity first closed end by a flexible strap and said first linear cavity second closed end is connected to said second linear cavity second closed end by a flexible strap.
4. The draft blocker of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of said envelope is elastic.
5. The draft blocker of claim 2 wherein the envelope opening is at least one slit in the envelope allowing access to the first linear cavity and the second linear cavity.
6. The draft blocker of claim 5 wherein said slit extends across a portion of the first linear cavity, the web and a portion of the second linear cavity.
7. The draft blocker of claim 6 wherein said envelope has at least one flexible element selectively closing the at least one slit.
8. The draft blocker of claim 6 wherein said flexible linear elements are flexible foam cylinders.
9. The draft blocker of claim 2 wherein said flexible sheet material is a fabric joined by sewing.
10. The draft blocker of claim 2 wherein said flexible sheet material is a coated fabric.
11. The draft blocker of claim 1 wherein the envelope opening is approximately positioned near a longitudinal center of the first linear cavity and the second linear cavity.
12. A draft blocker adapted for use under a door or window having a width comprising:
a first flexible linear element having a first length;
a second flexible linear element having a second length;
an envelope housing;
a first linear cavity having a first closed end and a second closed end, said first linear cavity receives the first flexible linear element;
a second linear cavity having a first closed end and a second closed end, said second linear cavity receives the second flexible linear element;
a web interconnecting the first linear cavity and the second linear cavity in generally spaced parallel relationship;
a third linear flexible element adapted to be received in said first linear cavity longitudinally adjacent the first linear flexible element;
a fourth linear flexible element adapted to be received in said second linear cavity longitudinally adjacent the second linear flexible element
at least one envelope opening to allow passage of the flexible linear elements into the envelope communicating with the first linear cavity and the second linear cavity, the envelope opening being positioned along the envelope housing and spaced from the cavity closed ends such that when at least one linear cavity receives the flexible linear elements, the first closed end of at least one of the linear cavities is held against a first end of one of the flexible linear elements and the second closed end of that same linear cavity is held against an opposite end of the other flexible linear element such that the linear cavity is pulled into snug engagement with the linear elements.
13. A draft blocker adapted for use under a window or a door, said window or door having a width comprising:
a first flexible linear element having a first length;
a second flexible linear element having a second length;
a first flexible envelope element having a first linear cavity having a closed end and an open end, said first linear cavity adapted to receive the first flexible linear element;
a second linear cavity having a closed and an open end, said second linear cavity adapted to receive the second flexible linear element;
a web interconnecting the first linear cavity and the second linear cavity in generally spaced parallel relationship;
a second flexible envelope element having a first linear cavity having an open end and being adapted to receive the first flexible linear element;
a second linear cavity having an open end and being adapted to receive the second flexible linear element;
a web interconnecting the first linear cavity and the second linear cavity;
said second envelope element adapted to surround a portion of said first envelope element with a portion of said second envelope element first linear cavity surrounding a portion of said first envelope element first linear cavity adjacent its open end;
a portion of said second envelope element second linear cavity surrounding a portion of said first envelope element second linear cavity adjacent its open end;
whereby said first flexible linear element may be at least partially contained within said first envelope element first linear cavity and said second envelope element first linear cavity and said second flexible linear element may be at least partially contained within said first envelope element second linear cavity and said second envelope element second linear cavity, and,
a fastener releasably holding said first envelope element in engagement with said second envelope element.
14. The draft blocker of claim 13 wherein said second envelope element first linear cavity has a closed end and said second envelope element second linear cavity has a closed end.
15. The draft blocker of claim 14 wherein the closed end of the first envelope element first linear cavity is connected to the closed end of the second linear cavity of the first envelope element by a flexible strap and the closed end of the first linear cavity of the second envelope element is connected to the closed end of the second linear cavity of the second envelope element by a flexible strap.
16. The draft blocker of claim 13 wherein said second envelope element first linear cavity has a second open end, said second envelope element second linear cavity has a second open end, said draft blocker further comprises a third flexible envelope element substantially identical to said first envelope element and said second envelope element interconnects to said third envelope element in a manner essentially to the interconnection to the first envelope element whereby said first flexible linear element and said second flexible linear element are contained within said first envelope element, said second envelope element, and said third envelope element.
17. A draft blocker adapted for use under a window or a door, said window or door having a width comprising:
a first flexible linear element having a first end, a second end and first length;
a second flexible linear element having a first end, a second end and a second length substantially equal to the first length;
a web connecting the first flexible linear element to the second flexible linear element such that the first linear element and the second linear element are held spaced apart, substantially parallel to one another with the first end of the first linear element adjacent to the first end of the second linear element and the second end of the first linear element adjacent to the second end of the second linear element;
a first flexible strap extending from the first end of the first linear element to the first end of the second linear element, the flexible strap being substantially perpendicular to the web; and
a second flexible strap extending from the second end of the first linear element to the second end of the second linear element, the second flexible strap being substantially perpendicular to the web.
18. The draft blocker of claim 17 being adapted to be positioned under a door having a bottom, a first side, a second side, a hinge edge and a free edge with the first linear element adjacent the door first side, the second linear element adjacent the door second side, the web adjacent the door bottom, the first strap adjacent the door hinge end and the second strap adjacent the free end whereby the draft blocker is held in engagement with the door when the door is moved.
19. The draft blocker of claim 17 where the first linear element is cylindrical and the second linear element is cylindrical.