Locks – Operating mechanism – Key
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-08
2003-06-17
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3676)
Locks
Operating mechanism
Key
C070S45600R, C024S040000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06578397
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to assistance devices for arthritic individuals and, more particularly, to a combined small object-manipulation assist device for operating keys, buttons and zippers and a method for using same.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Many persons have ailments that affect their ability to use their hands. An estimated 43 million Americans suffer from arthritis and other similar conditions, and each year one million new patients develop arthritis. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 60 million people in the US will have arthritis by 2020. The largest component of the target market is individuals 65 or older. Also it is well documented that younger people comprise half of all people affected. There are also an estimated 250,000 children in the US who have arthritis. It is estimated that one million new patients are developing arthritis each year in the US. Arthritis is the main cause of activity limitation in the United States, and as a result, sufferers are quick to purchase any remedy or device that will help eliminate discomfort or maintain independence. It is believed that an estimated 10 billion dollars is spent yearly in the US on unproven arthritis remedies alone. Other ailments that affect an individual's capacity to manipulate small objects include carpal-tunnel syndrome, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, wrist and forearm fractures, birth defects, amputees, wearing casts, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, quadriplegia, etc., as well as the side effects of many medications that cause the loss of the sensation of touch and/or grip strength.
Thus, persons with such ailments or side effects from medication need devices to facilitate key-turning, zippering and buttoning. Often it is quite difficult for individuals with ailments affecting the hands to grip and operate smaller objects such as many modern keys having relatively small heads, zippers, and buttons. In the case of the elderly and for some children as well, many have limited hand dexterity that results in difficulty in holding and/or grasping objects. Such limited hand dexterity also leads to reduced ability of such individuals to pick up, manipulate and exert force on small objects. The action of pinching a key head, a zipper, or a button and manipulating the same small object may be painful, awkward or even impossible to perform. As a result there exists a need for a device to help these persons with manipulating small objects such as keys, buttons and zippers.
For example, in the case of keys, a majority of door locks and ignition system locks involve inserting a key into a keyhole and turning the key. This includes locks for doors of homes, offices, vehicles and other applications. Keys are well known in the security industry and are normally flat-bodied/planar/laminal and elongated devices, with the length being longer than the width. The shank of the key is the longer component and contains cut-out components, a series of irregularities such as teeth, and grooves on the shank configured to contact and correspond to various mating elements, pins and tumblers of the core of a cylinder lock, with the result that rotating the inserted key rotates the lock core to its desired location. The head of the key or also base of the key is an extension of the shank and is an enlarged component of same, such that a person using the key can manually hold the key-head, insert the shank into the keyhole, and exert torque on the head, thus completing the operation of unlocking a door or actuating an ignition switch. Generally the planar form of the key head is not chosen primarily for ease of use but to enable inexpensive manufacture, coding and compact storage of several keys on a single key ring.
Arthritis and a variety of other physical ailments and medications with side effects can reduce the ability of a key user to exert sufficient torque on a key in order to rotate a lock cylinder, the ability of a person to grasp and manipulate a zipper to open or close an opening, the ability of a person trying to manipulate a button to grasp the button properly and insert it through a button-hole.
Prior art commonly employs a number of small object-manipulation assist devices for the purpose of assisting persons who have difficulty handling small objects.
In the case of keys, prior art key-turning assist devices come in a variety of designs and styles having various names such as “Key Turner”, “EZ Key,” “EZ Key Turner”, “Hand Key”, and “Carpal Turn Key”.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,844 to Richard L. Draegar describes a key leverage extending apparatus and method for assisting in the operation of a key in a lock. It provides for a leverage extender having a base member comprising a pair of opposed ends secured to a pair of opposed sides and a pair of opposed tops secured respectively to the opposed ends and the opposed sides such that there is a longitudinal aperture formed in between. A handle member is secured to one of the opposed sides, comprising an angular disposition relative to a plane of the base and having handle sides thereof parallel to the opposed sides. At least one set screw aperture is disposed in one of the opposed sides and is adapted to threadably receiving a set screw. A set screw member is threadably disposed in the set screw aperture. The apparatus is secured to flanges of a lock cylinder and a key is passed between the top members of the leverage extender and into the lock cylinder. Force is then applied to the handle member to operate the lock cylinder. Alternatively, a head of the key is secured to the leverage extender, and the key/leverage extender combination is disposed in the lock to subsequently turn the handle member of the leverage extender and operate the lock.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,951 to Adam E. Krass describes a key turning device that facilitates turning a key in a keyhole of lock consisting of an elongated housing having distal and proximal ends. A receiving, unrestricted opening is formed within a housing and extends between the distal and proximal ends substantially along a longitudinal axis of the housing. At least one key is pivotally arranged at the proximal end of the housing.
In operation, the key is transverse to the housing and the key is turned in the keyhole of the lock by a force applied to the housing. An area of application of this turning force is distributed along and restricted by the received opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,471 to Frank Rizzo describes a holder for key including key turner. The holder has deployable wings and a chain for holding additional keys. The key is held in a central compartment of the holder by the urging of a key stop projection. The projection assists in holding the key-head during operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,102 to Bryan E. Gapco describes a key handle which is a bulbous hand grip that facilitates the turning of a key within a lock by increasing the turning radius through which the key is turned, as well as providing finger and hand surfaces which may be utilized during turning. The hand grip may include a substantially arculate or spheroidal surface contour. The key may be secured within the hand grip by elastic deformation forces and/or by conventional fasteners.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,447 to Nolen et al. describes a device that facilitates the buttoning and unbuttoning, as well as the zipping and unzipping, of clothing for individuals with limited manual dexterity. The device has an insertion component at one end for sliding into a buttonhole, a buttoner component at the other end in the form of a hook and an unbuttoner component therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,646 to Gabriel Sebastian describes a device formed from a one piece length of wire and includes a pair of wire members forming a short handle which then inclines downwardly and spreads apart and extends parallel to the handle and then converges and inclines upwardly at the closed ended tip component thereof. The closed ended tip is engaged through the
Altrich Lawrence
Foreman Louis J.
LaShoto Henry G.
Glasgow Law Firm PLLC
Knight Anthony
Kyle Michael J.
LandOfFree
Combined small object-assist device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Combined small object-assist device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Combined small object-assist device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3129427