Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Signs – Door handle bar attached
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-29
2001-04-24
Melius, Terry Lee (Department: 3628)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Signs
Door handle bar attached
C040S331000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219949
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to devices for hanging on a doorknob for delivering message to people. More particularly, the invention concerns such a device with a hanger, a flap which is rotatably mounted on the hanger and at least one electronic device with switch component structured to be actuated by the rotational movement of the flap. The flap is rotated by a hand moving to grasp the doorknob. Preferably the invention includes two electronic devices, one light emitting and one sound emitting, which serve the function of attracting attention and/or delivering message. The invention may further include non-electrical display means for delivering message.
2. Background Information
It is not uncommon for people to forget doing something important before leaving the house in a rush. Sometimes this regrettable condition may lead to minor inconvenience and financial losses. But it could also lead to dire consequences such as lost of job, home and even lives. A person who often forgets to turn off the heater before leaving the house will have to pay a very expensive bill. A person who forgot to bring the door key may have to risk his/her life to climb back into the house or have the lock broken down by a locksmith with loss of time and money.
A person who forgot to bring an important report to work for a big business deal may find himself/herself jobless soon afterwards. A person who forgot to turn off the gas stove before leaving the house may find his/her house burnt down.
Certainly, forgetful people need a reliable reminding device at the door to help them remember important things to do before leaving the house. However, people with good memory also need a reliable reminding device when they want to deliver an important message to a household member who is sleeping or not home yet if they need to go out immediately. Many people resort to the basic tool of a memo slip stuck on the door with adhesive. This method does not always work for the absent-minded and people in a great hurry who just turn the doorknob and go. Memo slip adhered to a doorknob will cause inconvenience to people whom the message is not intended and they may fall off if people turn the doorknob without exercising extra care.
Even though prior art of U.S. Pat Nos. D339,382; D329,468; 1,984,559; 1,276,735 and 1,272,394 carry structures for hanging on a doorknob and they are used for delivering message, they suffer the same drawback as that of a memo slip for not being able to arouse enough attention, especially when they are used in a dim or dark surrounding or in a very hectic environment such as a busy office.
Thus, it is desirable to have a new and improved device which is more reliable and easy to use to deliver message to people at doors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention solves the problems mentioned above with electronic device actuated by a rotatable flap which can be rotated by a hand moving to grasp a doorknob and with non-electrical display means for delivering message.
The present invention provides a reminding device for hanging on a doorknob on a door for delivering message to people. The invention comprises a hanger, a flap, at least one electronic device and an urging component for keeping the flap at an operative angle.
The hanger is a sheet of flat, elongate material having an upper portion and a lower portion. A hanger opening is provided on the upper portion of the hanger for hanging the invention on a doorknob. The hanger also has a back surface facing the door and a front surface facing away from the door.
The flap is provided with a flap opening and the flap is rotatably and horizontally mounted on the hanger above the hanger opening such that the doorknob can pass through both the hanger opening and the flap opening when the flap is rotated towards the front surface of the hanger. The flap is maintained at the operative angle of approximately 30 degrees above the front surface of the hanger by the urging component such that the operative angle is sufficiently large to enable a hand moving to grasp a doorknob to generate a rotational movement on the flap to turn on the electronic device but sufficiently small to allow the front view of the doorknob to be seen.
Preferably, the invention includes two electronic devices, one light emitting and one sound emitting, both of which are actuated by one flap-actuated switch constructed to be actuated by the rotational movement of the flap.
Message can be delivered by voice reproduced from data stored in a memory chip and/or by light from a plurality of light producing components in specific orientation. When the invention comprises a holding component, e.g. a clip, for holding a planar display component, e.g. a memo pad, only a simple sound signal, e.g. beeping sound, can be used and as few as one light producing component for attracting attention and/or illumination can be used.
It should be understood that different embodiments of the invention can be constructed without departing from the spirit of the invention which will be made apparent from the remainder of the specification and claims.
The primary objective of this invention is to provide a reminding device for hanging on a doorknob, which reminding device is able to emit light and/or sound for attracting attention and/or delivering message when the doorknob with the invention on is speed.
Another objective of this invention is to provide a reminding device for hanging on a doorknob, which reminding device consumes electricity only when a doorknob with the invention on is grasped.
Another objective of this invention is to produce a reminding device which is reliable, easy to use, cheap to manufacture and has great potential demand.
Other objectives and advantages will be made apparent to one skilled in the art from the drawings and detailed description below.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 329468 (1992-09-01), Hatt
patent: D. 339382 (1993-09-01), Roberts
patent: 1272394 (1918-07-01), Devney
patent: 1276735 (1918-08-01), Devney
patent: 1984559 (1934-12-01), Wilcox
patent: 2305426 (1942-12-01), Howell
patent: 2447226 (1948-08-01), Bennett
patent: 4216598 (1980-08-01), Newbert
patent: 4460119 (1984-07-01), Goodfellow et al.
patent: 4862617 (1989-09-01), Cooke, Jr. et al.
patent: 4897945 (1990-02-01), Webb
Melius Terry Lee
Miller William L.
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