Door protection apparatus

Abstract

A door protection apparatus for protecting an installed door with at least one existing hinge includes at least one bracket and a hinge-side protective surface. The at least one bracket is configured to attach to the at least one existing hinge. The hinge-side protective surface is secured to the at least one bracket and attached to one of the existing hinges. The hinge-side protective surface is sized to cover a hinge side of the installed door. Wherein, the hinge-side protective surface is configured to maintain position on the hinge side of the installed door during opening and closing of the installed door for protecting the installed door.

1 . A door protection apparatus for protecting an installed door with at least one existing hinge comprises:
 at least one bracket configured to attach to the at least one existing hinge;   a hinge-side protective surface secured to the at least one bracket attached to one of the at least one existing hinge, said hinge-side protective surface is sized to cover a hinge side of the installed door;   wherein, the hinge-side protective surface is configured to maintain position on the hinge side of the installed door during opening and closing of the installed door for protecting the installed door.   
     
     
         2 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each of the at least one bracket includes:
 a top hole configured to receive a hinge pin of the at least one existing hinge; 
 a bottom protrusion configured to be inserted into a bottom hinge hole of the at least one existing hinge; and 
 a mounting surface between the top hole and the bottom protrusion, the mounting surface is configured for securing each of the at least one bracket to the hinge-side protective surface. 
 
     
     
         3 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one bracket is a 2-piece bracket comprising:
 a top bracket portion having the top hole configured to receive the hinge pin of the at least one existing hinge and a top mounting surface connected thereto for securing the top bracket portion to the hinge-side protective surface; and   a bottom bracket portion having the bottom protrusion configured to be inserted into the bottom hinge hole of the at least one existing hinge and a bottom mounting surface configured for securing the bottom bracket portion to the hinge-side protective surface.   
     
     
         4 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the 2-piece bracket is configured to allow adjustability between the top hole and the bottom protrusion for allowing the 2-piece bracket to be installed on various sizes of the at least one existing hinge. 
     
     
         5 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the top bracket portion having three top mounting holes through the top mounting surface for securing the top bracket portion to the hinge-side protective surface via three short top screws or top bolts; and   the bottom bracket portion having three bottom mounting holes through the bottom mounting surface for securing the bottom bracket portion to the hinge-side protective surface via three short bottom screws or bottom bolts.   
     
     
         6 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the top mounting surface including:
 a top corner flange oriented flat with the hinge-side protective surface, where the top corner flange has a top horizontal portion extending from a first top end away from the at least one existing hinge along the hinge-side protective surface and a top vertical portion extending downwards from a second top end of the top horizontal portion toward the bottom mounting surface; 
 a holed tab extending from the first top end of the top horizontal portion of the top corner flange, the holed tab extending perpendicular from the hinge-side protective surface and including the top hole configured to receive the hinge pin; and 
 the three top mounting holes through the top mounting surface for securing the top bracket portion to the hinge-side protective surface are located near the first top end of the top horizontal portion, near a bottom end of the top vertical portion, and near a top intersection of the top horizontal portion and the top vertical portion; and 
   the bottom mounting surface including:
 a bottom corner flange oriented flat with the hinge-side protective surface, where the bottom corner flange has a bottom horizontal portion extending from a first bottom end away from the at least one existing hinge along the hinge-side protective surface and a bottom vertical portion extending upwards from a second bottom end of the bottom horizontal portion toward the top mounting surface; 
 a protrusion tab extending from the first bottom end of the bottom horizontal portion of the bottom corner flange, the protrusion tab extending perpendicular from the hinge-side protective surface and including the bottom protrusion configured to be inserted into the bottom hinge hole of the at least one existing hinge; and 
 the three bottom mounting holes through the bottom mounting surface for securing the bottom bracket portion to the hinge-side protective surface are located near the first bottom end of the bottom horizontal portion, near a top end of the bottom vertical portion, and near a bottom intersection of the bottom horizontal portion and the bottom vertical portion. 
   
     
     
         7 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein each of the at least one bracket is a 1-piece bracket having:
 the top hole configured to receive the hinge pin of the at least one existing hinge the bottom protrusion configured to be inserted into the bottom hinge hole of the at least one existing hinge; and   the mounting surface integrally connected between the top hole and the bottom protrusion configured for securing the 1-piece bracket to the hinge-side protective surface.   
     
     
         8 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the 1-piece bracket is configured to be sized between the top hole and the bottom protrusion for allowing the 1-piece bracket to be installed on various sizes of the at least one existing hinge. 
     
     
         9 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the mounting surface having five mounting holes through the mounting surface for securing the 1-piece bracket to the hinge-side protective surface via five short screws or bolts.   
     
     
         10 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the mounting surface including:
 a c-shaped flange oriented flat with the hinge-side protective surface, where the c-shaped flange has a top horizontal c-portion extending from a first top c-end away from the at least one existing hinge along the hinge-side protective surface, a vertical c-portion extending downwards from a second top c-end of the top horizontal c-portion, and a bottom horizontal c-portion extending from a bottom c-end of the vertical c-portion toward the at least one existing hinge; 
 a holed tab extending from the first top c-end of the top horizontal c-portion, the holed tab extending perpendicular from the hinge-side protective surface and including the top hole configured to receive the hinge pin; and 
 a protrusion tab extending from a first bottom c-end of the bottom horizontal c-portion, the protrusion tab extending perpendicular from the hinge-side protective surface and including the bottom protrusion configured to be inserted into the bottom hinge hole of the at least one existing hinge. 
   
     
     
         11 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 1  further including:
 a back-side protective surface sized to cover a back side of the installed door; and 
 a plurality of straps configured to secure the back-side protective surface on the back side of the installed door by connecting between the hinge-side protective surface around edges of the installed door to the back-side protective surface in a plurality of locations around the installed door. 
 
     
     
         12 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 11  including six straps, the six straps including:
 two top straps extending from a top portion of the hinge-side protective surface over a top edge of the installed door to a top portion of the back-side protective surface, where the two top straps are equally spaced along the top edge of the installed door; 
 two bottom straps extending from a bottom portion of the hinge-side protective surface over a bottom edge of the installed door to a bottom portion of the back-side protective surface, where the two bottom straps are equally spaced along the bottom edge of the installed door; and 
 two lock side straps extending from a lock side portion of the hinge-side protective surface around a lock side edge of the installed door to a lock side portion of the back-side protective surface, where the two lock side straps are equally spaced along the lock side edge of the installed door. 
 
     
     
         13 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of the straps is made from a nylon or a strong cloth and include:
 hook and loop type fasteners for adjustably securing each of the plurality of the straps around the door from the hinge-side protective surface to the back-side protective surface; or   buckle type fasteners for adjustably securing each of the plurality of the straps around the door from the hinge-side protective surface to the back-side protective surface.   
     
     
         14 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the hinge-side protective surface and the back-side protective surface are made from wood or hard plastic with a soft backing material to protect the door. 
     
     
         15 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the installed door including at least two existing hinges; and   the door protection apparatus including at least two brackets configured to attach to the at least two existing hinges.   
     
     
         16 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the installed door including three existing hinges; and   the door protection apparatus including three brackets configured to attach to the three existing hinges.   
     
     
         17 . The door protection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one brackets being made of a metal or a plastic. 
     
     
         18 . A door protection apparatus for protecting an installed door with at least three existing hinges comprises:
 at least three brackets configured to attach to the at least three existing hinges, each of the at least three brackets includes:
 a top hole configured to receive a hinge pin from one of the at least three existing hinges; 
 a bottom protrusion configured to be inserted into a bottom hinge hole of one of the the at least three existing hinges; and 
 a mounting surface connected between the top hole and the bottom protrusion of the bracket, the mounting surface of the bracket is configured for securing the bracket to the hinge-side protective surface; 
   a hinge-side protective surface secured to the at least three brackets attached to the at least three existing hinges, said hinge-side protective surface is sized to cover a hinge side of the installed door;   a back-side protective surface sized to cover a back side of the installed door; and   a plurality of straps configured to secure the back-side protective surface on the back side of the installed door by connecting between the hinge-side protective surface around edges of the installed door to the back-side protective surface in a plurality of locations around the installed door, wherein each of the plurality of straps are made from a nylon or a strong cloth and include:
 hook and loop type fasteners for adjustably securing the straps around the door from the hinge-side protective surface to the back-side protective surface; or 
 buckle type fasteners for adjustably securing the straps around the door from the hinge-side protective surface to the back-side protective surface; 
   wherein the hinge-side protective surface and the back-side protective surface are made from wood or hard plastic with a soft backing material to protect the door;   wherein, the hinge-side protective surface is configured to maintain position on the hinge side of the installed door during opening and closing of the installed door for protecting the installed door; and   wherein, the back-side protective surface is configured to maintain position on the back side of the installed door during opening and closing of the installed door for protecting the installed door.   
     
     
         19 . A method of protecting an installed door with at least one existing hinge comprising:
 providing a door protection apparatus for protecting the installed door with the at least one existing hinge comprising:
 at least one bracket configured to attach to the at least one existing hinge; 
 a hinge-side protective surface secured to the at least one bracket attached to one of the at least one existing hinges, said hinge-side protective surface is sized to cover a hinge side of the installed door; 
 wherein, the hinge-side protective surface is configured to maintain position on the hinge side of the installed door during opening and closing of the installed door for protecting the installed door; 
   installing the door protection apparatus on the installed door including:
 attaching the at least one bracket to the at least one existing hinge; and 
 securing the hinge-side protective surface to the at least one bracket attached to the at lease one existing hinge. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of protecting an installed door of  claim 19 , wherein,
 the provided door protection apparatus includes:
 a back-side protective surface sized to cover a back side of the installed door; and 
 a plurality of straps configured to secure the back-side protective surface on the back side of the installed door by connecting between the hinge-side protective surface around the edge of the installed door to the back-side protective surface in a plurality of locations around the installed door; 
   installing the door protection apparatus on the installed door further includes:
 securing the back-side protective surface on the back side of the installed door by connecting the plurality of straps between the hinge-side protective surface around edges of the installed door to the back-side protective surface.