Instead of the doorframe or handle, the focus is on the mechanism itself – the hinge. Most classrooms, hotel rooms, bedrooms, open inwards. This means that the inside of each room should have hinge access. If that hinge is blocked, it buys enough time/protection from outside factors. In the event of a shooting, the doorstop is a hardened steel plate that slides in-between the hinge and door panel, redistributing force.
As the plate went through design iterations, it started as a simple circle with a die cut slit. The distance from the slit to the edge was reworked, and chamfers were added to readjust stress points. The width of the slit was increased, and the overall footprint changed to more of a “portrait” orientation to increase strength. The weak points of the structure came from the bend angle, buckling like a taco shell
