Sanitary door handle assembly

• US 6,289,557 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1999
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Barry F. Manson, Ralph G. Ridenour
• Original Assignee: Barry F. Manson, Ralph G. Ridenour
• Inventors: Manson, Barry F., Ridenour, Ralph G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mah, Chuck Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/457,174
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 164/12, 164/13, 164/30, 169/01, 169/04, 494/60, 292/347, 294/26, 294/51, D 8/306, D 8/307, D 8/308, D 8/300, D 8/DIG.1
• US Class Current: 16/412
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 1/0053 Handles or handle attachments facilitating operation, e.g. by children or burdened persons foot-operation E05B53/001
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0035 for privacy rooms, e.g. bathrooms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 16/901 Handle with manipulation thereof by human body part other than the hand
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 16/904 Handle means having sanitary characteristic, e.g. to prevent transmission of germs

Abstract

A sanitary door handle assembly which can be readily engaged by the inner curvature of a person'"'"'s wrist or forearm so as to permit hands-free inward opening of a door for sanitary passage, followed by passive, easy release. A mounting arm supports an arcuate handle in spaced relation to the face of the door. The dished side of the handle, which is engaged by the wrist or forearm, generally faces the face of the door. The free end of the handle is directed toward the outer swinging edge of the door, and a gap between the free end of the handle and the door permits the operator'"'"'s hand to pass therethrough to allow for natural disengagement and passage once the door is pulled open. In a modified arrangement, a resilient member is arranged to permit deflection of the mounting arm and/or handle to accommodate the operator'"'"'s engaged wrist or forearm in response to unexpected motion of the door.

Claims

1. A door and sanitary door opener assembly for opening said door, said door having an inner hinged edge and a laterally spaced outer swinging edge, and generally parallel faces extending between said edges, said assembly comprising:

a mounting arm having a proximal portion supported at a support location on one face of said door and a distal end spaced from said one face of said door; and

a handle joined to said distal end of said mounting arm at a place laterally extending past said support location toward said inner hinged edge, the handle further including a handle engagement portion, one end of the handle extending laterally past said support location toward said outer swinging edge of said door to a distal end of the handle which is spaced from said one face of said door, said engagement portion of said handle and said one face of said door defining therebetween a gap at least large enough to permit an operator'"'"'s hand to pass therethrough,

said engagement portion of said handle having a side facing said one face of said door for engagement by the operator'"'"'s wrist or forearm when pulling said door open and for disengagement when the door is open.

2. A door and opener assembly according to claim 1, wherein said handle side facing said one face of said door includes a reentrant portion for engagement by the operator'"'"'s wrist or forearm.

3. A door and opener assembly according to claim 2 wherein said reentrant portion comprises an angular extension of said handle side.

4. A door and opener assembly according to claim 2, wherein said engagement portion of said handle extends in a plane that is oblique to said one face of said door.

5. A door and opener assembly according to claim 4, wherein said plane extends downwardly from said distal portion of said mounting arm.

6. A door and opener assembly according to claim 4, wherein said plane extends at an angle of from about 15 to about 165 degrees from the vertical.

7. A door and opener assembly according to claim 6, wherein said side of said engagement portion of said handle is concave with respect to said one face of said door.

8. A door and opener assembly according to claim 7, wherein said engagement portion has a length equal to from about 2 to about 8 times the extent of the concavity of said side as measured along said engagement portion.

9. A door and opener assembly according to claim 8, wherein said mounting arm comprises a base at said proximal portion, a base leg extending from said base laterally toward said hinged edge of said door to an inner end, a stem extending generally perpendicular to said one face of said door from said inner end of said base leg to said handle at said distal portion of said mounting arm.

10. A door and opener assembly according to claim 1, wherein said assembly includes resilient means for maintaining said assembly in a normal position during opening operation of said door from said one face by the operator and for yielding to allow movement of said assembly to a displaced position tending to accommodate the operator'"'"'s engaged wrist or forearm upon opening operation of said door by another from said other face and to thereby avoid injury of the operator.

11. A door and sanitary door opener assembly for opening said door, said door having an inner hinged edge, an outer swinging edge and faces extending between said edges, said assembly comprising:

a mounting arm supported at a support location, the mounting arm having a proximal portion supported on one face of said door, and a distal end spaced from said one face of said door; and

a handle joined to said distal end of said mounting arm and extending outwardly toward said outer swinging edge of said door to a free end spaced from said one face of said door, said free end of said handle and said one face of said door defining therebetween a gap at least large enough to permit an operator'"'"'s hand to pass therethrough, the end of the handle joined to the mounting arm being located between the support location and said inner hinged edge,

said handle being arcuate with the dished side thereof generally facing said one face of said door for natural engagement by the operator'"'"'s wrist or forearm when pulling said door open, and natural disengagement when said door is open.

12. A door and opener assembly according to claim 11, wherein said free end of said handle and said distal portion of said mounting arm are substantially equidistant from said one face of said door.

13. A door and opener assembly according to claim 11, wherein the plane of the arc of said handle is oblique to said one face of said door.

14. A door and opener assembly according to claim 13, wherein said mounting arm comprises a base at said proximal portion thereof, said mounting arm extending from said base inwardly toward said inner hinged edge of said door and away from said one face of said door to said distal portion.

15. A door and opener assembly according to claim 14, wherein said base lies between the projection on said one face of said door of said distal portion of said mounting arm, and the projection on said one face of said door of said free end of said handle.

16. A door and opener assembly according to claim 15, wherein said mounting arm comprises a base leg extending from said base generally parallel to said one face of said door and inwardly toward said inner hinged edge of said door to an inner end, and a stem extending generally perpendicular to said one face of said door from said inner end of said base leg to said handle at said distal portion of said mounting arm.

17. A sanitary door opener assembly adapted for mounting on and opening a door having an inner hinged edge, an outer swinging edge and faces extending between said edges, said assembly comprising:

a mounting arm having a proximal portion and a distal end, said proximal portion having a base with a mounting surface adapted to be supported on one face of the door, said distal end being spaced from the plane of said mounting surface so that said distal end of the mounting arm is spaced from said one surface of the door when said base in supported thereon; and

a handle joined to said distal end of said mounting arm and including an engagement portion extending therefrom to a free end spaced from the plane of said mounting surface by a distance greater than the width of an operator'"'"'s hand, whereby when said assembly is mounted on the door said free end of said handle and said one face of said door define therebetween a gap at least large enough to permit the operator'"'"'s hand to pass therethrough, with said free end of said handle projecting toward the outer swinging edge of the door,

said assembly including resilient means for maintaining said assembly in a normal position during opening operation of said door from said one face by the operator and for yielding to allow movement of said assembly to a displaced position tending to accommodate the operator'"'"'s engaged wrist or forearm upon opening operation of said door by another from said other face and to thereby avoid injury of the operator,

said engagement portion of said handle having a side facing said one face of said door for engagement by the operator'"'"'s wrist or forearm when pulling said door open and for disengagement when the door is open.

18. A sanitary door opener assembly according to claim 17, wherein said resilient means comprise a coil spring or a polymeric connector.

20. A door and sanitary door opener assembly for opening said door, said door having an inner hinged edge and a laterally spaced outer swinging edge, and first and second faces extending between said edges on opposite sides of said door, said assembly comprising:

a mounting arm member having a proximal portion supported at a support location on one face of said door and a distal end spaced from said one face of said door; and

a handle member joined to said distal end of said mounting arm including a handle engagement portion extending laterally toward said outer swinging edge of said door to a distal end of the said handle spaced from said one face of said door, said engagement portion of said handle and said one face of said door defining therebetween a gap at least large enough to permit an operator'"'"'s hand to pass therethrough,

said engagement portion of said handle having a side facing said one face of said door for engagement by the operator'"'"'s wrist or forearm when pulling said door open and for disengagement when the door is open,

said assembly including a resilient member for maintaining said assembly in a normal position during opening operation of said door from said one face by the operator and for yielding to allow movement of said assembly to a displaced position tending to accommodate the operator'"'"'s engaged wrist or forearm upon opening operation of said door by another from said other face and to thereby avoid injury of the operator.

19. A door opener assembly according to claim 20, wherein said mounting arm comprises a base leg extending from said base generally parallel to the plane of said mounting surface to an inner end, and a stem extending generally perpendicular to the plane of said mounting surface from said inner end of said base leg to said handle at said distal end of said mounting arm.

21. A door and opener assembly according to claim 20, wherein said resilient member is arranged to mount at least one of said mounting arm and handle members for movement relative to said one face to said displaced position in response to loads applied to the operator'"'"'s wrist or forearm engaged with said assembly when said door is opened by another from said other face.

22. A door and opener assembly according to claim 20, wherein said resilient member comprises a coil spring or a polymeric connector or other resilient means.

23. A door and opener assembly according to claim 20, wherein said mounting arm member includes a base joined to said door and said mounting arm is connected to said base by said resilient member.

24. A door and opener assembly according to claim 23, wherein said mounting arm member includes a proximal mounting arm face and said base includes a base face, said proximal mounting arm face and said base face being in engagement when said handle assembly is in said normal position and being pivotally movable when said arm mounting member is moved to said displaced position with deflection of said resilient member.

25. A door and opener assembly according to claim 20, wherein said handle member is connected to said mounting arm member by said resilient member.

26. A door and opener assembly according to claim 25, wherein said mounting arm member includes a distal mounting arm face and said handle member includes a handle face, said distal mounting arm face and handle face being in engagement when said assembly is in said normal position and being pivotally movable when said handle member is moved to said displaced position with deflection of said resilient member.

27. A door and sanitary door opener assembly for opening said door, said door having an inner hinged edge and a laterally spaced outer swinging edge, and faces extending between said edges, said assembly comprising:

a mounting arm having a proximal portion supported at a support location on one face of said door and a distal end spaced from said one face of said door; and

a handle joined to said distal end of said mounting arm including a handle engagement portion extending laterally past said support location toward said outer swinging edge of said door to a distal end spaced from said one face of said door, said engagement portion of said handle and said one face of said door defining therebetween a gap at least large enough to permit an operator'"'"'s hand to pass therethrough,

said engagement portion of said handle having a side facing said one face of said door for engagement by the operator'"'"'s wrist or forearm when pulling said door open and for disengagement when the door is open, said engagement portion of said handle extending in a plane that is oblique to said one face of said door.

28. A door and opener assembly according to claim 27, wherein said plane extends downwardly from said distal portion of said mounting arm.

29. A door and opener assembly according to claim 27, wherein said plane extends at an angle of from about 15 to about 165 degrees from the vertical.

30. A door and opener assembly according to claim 29, wherein said side of said engagement portion of said handle is concave with respect to said one face of said door.

31. A door and opener assembly according to claim 30, wherein said engagement portion has a length equal to from about 2 to about 8 times the extent of the concavity of said side as measured along said engagement portion.

32. A door and opener assembly according to claim 27, wherein said assembly includes resilient means for maintaining said assembly in a normal position during opening operation of said door from said one face by the operator and for yielding to allow movement of said assembly to a displaced position tending to accommodate the operator'"'"'s engaged wrist or forearm upon opening operation of said door by another from said other face and to thereby avoid injury of the operator.