Pet door device

Claim 1

A pet door device intended for installation in the door frame of a pair of overlapping horizontally sliding doors normally associated in the providing of outside home exits and entries, the device intended to be mounted adjacent a vertically extending side frame section of the door frame in a manner permitting a pet, such as a dog, cat or the like to pass freely therethrough from an indoor locality when so desired, the device comprising: a substantially flat door structure having a vertical bottom panel and a vertical top panel, the bottom panel including a top end edge, a bottom end edge, and opposed side edges; the top panel being equal in width and thickness and of substantially the same length as the bottom panel and having a top end edge, a bottom end edge, and opposed side edges; a horizontally extending hinge pivotally interconnecting the top panel bottom edge to the bottom panel top edge providing relative pivotal movement thereof between an inoperative storage and carrying position where the panels are disposed in spaced apart side-by-side parallelism, and an operative position where the panels are disposed in vertical co-planar alignment with the respective side edges defining the side edges of the door structure, the door structure adapted to be vertically disposed adjacent a vertical side frame of the door frame and extend horizontally co-planar with the door frame outwardly from the side frame; a flat plate member extending the full width of the top panel and disposed in juxtaposition with the interior surface of the top edge portion of the top panel, a vertical slot disposed centrally of the plate and extending therethrough, a fastener threadedly received in the top interior surface of the top panel and projecting normal thereof adapted to be received in the slot of the plate, the projection guiding the vertical adjusted movement of the plate and serving to lock the plate to the adjusted position to retain the selected vertical height thereof relative to the top panel; a plurality of locking mechanism associated with the respective side edges of the top and bottom panels to detachably connect the door structure within the door frame without requiring modification or alteration of the door frame, each locking mechanism including a knob rotatably supported on the interior surface of the respective panel adjacent the associated side edge thereof and projecting normal thereto and adapted to rotate in either direction about its axis, each knob having operatively connected thereto a horizontally disposed plunger disposed interiorly of the door structure for horizontal reciprocal movement outwardly and inwardly of the associated door structure side edge, rotation of the locking knob in one direction effecting the horizontal outward movement of the associated plunger in a manner to engage a vertical supporting surface disposed adjacent the door structure, with rotation of the knob in the opposite direction effecting the inward movement of the plunger interiorly of the door structure inwardly of the plane of the door side edge; a rectangular opening extending transversely through the bottom panel of a size and shape defining a passageway therethrough for a pet; a pet actuated door panel swingably mounted on the bottom panel adjacent the top edge of the passageway for swinging movement about a horizontal axis in either direction out of the plane of the bottom panel between a normally closed position disposed co-planar with the bottom panel in a manner closing the passageway and an open position disposed out of the plane of the bottom panel in a manner to open the passageway, the pet actuated door panel being swingably mounted on the bottom panel by a horizontally extending hinge connected to the top edge of the passageway and extending downwardly therefrom to have the opposite end connected to the door panel, the hinge being resiliently biased by a coiled spring to retain the door panel in the normally closed position and to effect the return of the door panel to the closed position after each time it is swung out of the same to permit a pet to pass therethrough, the door swinging panel being adapted to be solely operated by the pet passing in either direction therethrough without requiring any assistance from others; and a locking device associated with the swinging door panel and adapted to lock the door panel in the normally closed position, the locking device comprising a pair of transversely spaced apart rectangularly shaped flat locking members, one locking member disposed on each side of the passageway and having one end pivotally connected to the interior surface of the bottom panel providing rotative movement of the locking member about the pivot in a horizontal plane parallel to the bottom panel, the free end of each locking member adapted to be swung into the plane of the passageway and detachably engage the swinging door panel in a manner to retain the same in the closed position preventing any swinging movement thereof.