Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Handle – handle component – or handle adjunct – Door handle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-28
2001-02-20
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3626)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Handle, handle component, or handle adjunct
Door handle
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189183
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention describes a sanitary door opener with bumper for use by an operator to open a door with his forearm or elbow.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A door opener that does not require the use of an operator's hands offers a distinct sanitary advantage in hospitals and other medical facilities, in public restrooms and especially in restrooms of restaurants and other food service establishments where patrons do not want their hands to contact restroom doorknobs or handles.
Depending upon use, personnel doors are generally equipped with one of two types of handles: those with built-in latches to permit locking or those without positive latches. The present invention relates to those passage type doors and doors of cabinets and other enclosures which do not use positive latching means. Closure devices or tension type latches on doors do not interfere with use of the current opener.
Ideally, non-latching, passage doors that swing in two directions could be used in sanitary sensitive establishments so that a person's forearm, elbow or foot, rather than his hand, could be used to push a door open from either side; however, this is not advisable due to safety considerations. Building codes do not permit doors to be installed that swing outwardly into hallways or other common areas since a person in the hallway could be injured by the unexpected opening of a door. Unless a special alcove is constructed, most doors are installed to swing inwardly into a room. These doors can be pushed open only from their outward or passageway side; therefore some type of gripping device is required to open these doors from the inside.
Except for electronically operated doors which are expensive to install and maintain, no practical means for opening a passage door in a sanitary manner from its inwardly swinging side has been described in prior art. Consequently, a need exists for a safe, manually operated, sanitary, door opener that does not require the use of an operator's hand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is that for a manually operated, sanitary door opener with bumper. The opener is designed for an operator's forearm or elbow to be used to open any non-latching personnel or cabinet door from its swinging side. Since an operator's hands are not required to contact a doorknob or handle, a distinct sanitary advantage is gained.
The preferred embodiment of the sanitary door opener with bumper comprises four portions all of which may be integrally formed plus an attachment means. A first portion fits against the door for attachment to the door. A second portion extends away from the door and a third portion runs generally parallel to, but offset from the door. In the preferred embodiment, the fourth portion is an outer bumper portion that extends from the free end of the third portion and is curved away from the plane of the door and then back toward the door. When an operator places his forearm or elbow behind the third portion and pulls, the door is opened fully or at least partially. At this time, the operator may remove his forearm or elbow from the opener and, if needed, reposition one of them, his shoulder, hip, knee or foot against the edge of the door for further opening. The operator's hands are not used.
A significant feature of the current invention is that a bumper is provided so that no potentially sharp end of the opener can cause injury to an operator. One end of the opener is secured flat against the surface of the door by the attachment means and the other end, the free end of the bumper, is inaccessible due to the curvature of the bumper. The primary concern for potential injury to an operator could arise from the unexpected opening of a door initiated by another operator on the opposite side of the door. The door could be pushed open at a high rate of velocity striking the operator on the inside.
In an alternate embodiment of the opener, the outer or bumper portion has a first end that extends from the free end of the third portion and is curved outwardly away from the door, a middle section that runs generally parallel to the plane of the door and a second curved end that turns toward the door. A return portion extends from the second end of the bumper and runs back toward the door. When an operator places his forearm behind the third portion and pulls, the door is opened without use of the operator's hands. The operator is again protected against potential injury by the bumper action of the outer portion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 842081 (1907-01-01), Clark
patent: 1245216 (1917-11-01), Gohlke
patent: 2238513 (1941-04-01), Ward
patent: 3121907 (1964-02-01), Stebbins
patent: 3156944 (1964-11-01), Bohn
patent: 3391674 (1968-07-01), Burleigh
patent: 3648411 (1972-03-01), Saunders et al.
patent: 4658469 (1987-04-01), Hawkins
patent: 4686742 (1987-08-01), Arnold
patent: 4710634 (1987-12-01), Brookes
patent: 4856140 (1989-08-01), Visco et al.
patent: 5511284 (1996-04-01), Current
Knight Anthony
Pickard Alison K.
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