Sanitary door opener with bumper

A sanitary opener with bumper for attachment to a door for use by an operator to open the door with his forearm or elbow is described. The opener comprises a first portion generally parallel to and for attachment to the door, a second portion extending away for the door, a third portion running generally parallel to the door and at a distance from the door and a fourth outer portion which serves as a bumper to prevent injury should an operator be struck by the opener. The bumper is formed by curving the outer portion and by positioning its free end to prevent operator exposure to sharp edges. To open the door, an operator places his forearm behind the third portion and pulls. A sanitary advantage is achieved since the operator's hands do not touch the door.

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.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show one embodiment of the sanitary door opener 10 for use
 by an operator to manually open a door 14 using his forearm 12 or elbow.
 The opener is designed for attachment to the inward swinging side of a
 non-latching door at an appropriate height near its edge 16. The
 operator's hands are not required to open the door; therefore, a distinct
 sanitary advantage is gained. Where a sanitary need exists, the opener may
 also find use in opening doors of cabinets or other enclosures where the
 doors are held closed by tension type devices. The sanitary opener will
 find applications in hospitals and other medical facilities, in public
 restrooms and particularly in restrooms of restaurants and other eating
 establishments.
 FIG. 1 shows a sanitary door opener 10 installed on a door 14 and being
 used by an operator to open the door using his forearm 12. The operator's
 hand does not contact any part of the door, doorknob or door handle.
 FIGS. 2 and 3 show a top and front side view, respectively, of the opener
 10. The opener is comprised of six portions, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28.
 All six portions may be integrally formed from a thin, flat, metal bar.
 The first portion 18 is oriented generally parallel to the door with one
 or more holes 60 in it for the passage of fasteners. A second portion 20
 extends away from the door. A first end 34 of second portion 20 is
 connected to one end 32 of first portion 18. The third portion 22 with
 contact surface 42 extends generally parallel to the door. A first end 38
 of third portion 22 is connected to a second end 36 of second portion 20.
 To utilize the opener, an operator's forearm or elbow is placed behind
 third portion 22 and against contact surface 42. As the operator pulls,
 the door is opened. If the door opens only partially, the operator may
 choose to remove his forearm from the opener and reposition it against the
 edge of the door to complete the opening. Use of the operator's hands are
 still not required. As the door swings open, the operator's forearm 12
 will tend to rotate against portions 20 and 22 of the sanitary opener.
 After the door is partially opened, the operator's forearm 12 will be in
 full contact with portion 20. For this reason, portion 20 should be
 sufficient in length to prevent the operator's hand, which is wider than
 his forearm, from accidentally contacting the door during this rotating
 process.
 FIGS. 2 and 3 further show a fourth portion 24 of the sanitary opener 10
 with curved ends 44 and 46 turning inwardly toward the door. One curved
 end 44 is connected to a second end 40 of third portion 22. The primary
 function of the fourth portion 24 is to serve as a safety bumper across
 the front of the opener to protect an operator should the door
 unexpectedly be pushed open from the opposite side. The curved ends 44 and
 46 and a slightly bowed mid section 48 of fourth portion 24 further serve
 to prevent injury should the opener accidentally strike the operator.
 Additionally, a cover with rounded edges (FIGS. 14 and 15) over the top
 and bottom of the sanitary opener 10 may also be utilized to improve
 safety.
 Also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is a fifth portion 26 which runs at an angle to
 the plane of the door and has a contact surface 54. A first end 50 of
 fifth portion 26 is connected to curved end 46 of fourth portion 24. A
 sixth portion 28 with a curved end 56 connected to a second end 52 of
 fifth portion 26 extends back toward the door. Portions 26 and 28, like
 portions 20 and 22, permit gripping the opener by the use of an operator's
 forearm but from the opposite side of the opener. When an operator places
 his forearm against contact surface 54 and pulls, the door opens. When
 using this side of the opener, the operator's forearm tends to rotate
 along fifth portion 26 and curved end 46 of fourth portion 24 as the door
 swings open. This causes the operator's forearm to move further away from
 the door. Consequently, there is little likelihood his hand will
 accidentally contact the door.
 FIGS. 9 and 10 show another embodiment of this invention. This embodiment
 is similar to that shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 except that sixth portion 28
 is eliminated and second end 52 of fifth portion 26 is connected to second
 end 36 of second portion 20. As FIGS. 9 and 10 show, this embodiment
 consists of portions 106, 108, 110, 112 and 114. This embodiment is
 simpler to construct than the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3; however, an
 operator's forearm will not rotate quite as easily along portion 112 as
 with the previously described embodiment. To simplify construction, a
 vertically oriented section of tubing or rod may be substituted for
 portions 110, 112 and 114. When this is done the tubing or rod must be
 connected to second end 118 of portion 108 such as by welding.
 Another embodiment of this invention comprises only portions 106, 108, 110
 and 112 of opener 104. Construction is simplified even further with this
 embodiment; however, ends 124 and 120 of portions 110 and 112,
 respectively, would not be as rounded as with opener 104 thereby causing
 more of a safety concern if one end unexpectedly struck an operator. As
 with the other embodiments, an operator's forearm can be used on either
 side of the opener to pull the door open.
 To position the contact surfaces of any of the embodiments at an
 orientation closer to the natural angle of a person's forearm, any surface
 against which an operator's forearm or elbow may pull may be oriented such
 that the portion and its surface are at an angle to the plane of the door.
 The lower edge of the portion would be farther from the door surface than
 the top edge.
 FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show an embodiment 62 of the sanitary door opener which is
 foot operated; it is comprised of three portions 68, 70 and 72. A first
 portion 68 of this embodiment is a generally planar member which attaches
 to a door 14 by the use of fasteners through holes 86. A second portion
 70, also generally planar, extends away from the door at a slight angle. A
 first end 78 of the second portion connects to one end 76 of the first
 portion. A second end 80 of second portion 70 connects to third portion 72
 which is a short, vertically oriented section of rod with a generally flat
 top 84 and flat bottom 88. One side 82 of the rod section is connected to
 second portion 70. The primary function of portion 72 is to assist the
 gripping of the opener by the toe of an operator's shoe. Construction of
 this embodiment may comprise a thin, flat, metal bar that is formed to
 make portions 68 and 70 and a short section of metal rod or tubing to make
 portion 72; metal portions 68 and 70 may be connected by welding. To open
 a door using this embodiment, the toe 66 of an operator's shoe 64 is
 placed firmly against portions 70 and 72 and pulled away from the door
 with a general rotation of his foot. The door will open fully or at least
 sufficiently for the door edge to become clearly accessible. At this
 point, the operator's foot may be removed from the opener and immediately
 repositioned against the lower part of door edge 16 for further opening.
 FIGS. 7 and 8 show another embodiment 90 of this invention, which is also
 foot operated and identical in function and operation to opener 62. Its
 construction, however, is different. This embodiment 90 comprises three
 connecting sides, 92, 94 and 96. Side 92 fits against the door while side
 94 extends outwardly from the door at a small angle thereby providing a
 contact surface for the toe of an operator's shoe. To improve gripping,
 side 94 may be designed with vertical groves in its surface or it may be
 covered with a grip enhancing material. Holes 102 extend through side 92
 to provide a passage for fasteners. The opener may be constructed from
 thin, flat, metal bar that is formed to the appropriate shape and whose
 ends are connected. This embodiment may also be constructed from a solid
 block of wood, metal, plastic or other material.
 FIGS. 11 and 12 show a top and side view, respectively, of an embodiment
 126 of the sanitary door opener that is operated by a person's forearm or
 elbow. This embodiment comprises a first portion 128 that is for
 attachment to the door using fasteners which pass through holes 142. A
 second portion 130 extends away from the door and a third portion 132
 extends generally parallel to, but offset from, the door and has a contact
 surface on the side facing the door. The third portion is offset at a
 sufficient distance from the door for an operator's forearm or elbow to
 fit between this portion and the door. An outer portion 134 extends from
 the end of the third portion, is curved away from the third portion 132
 and then back toward third portion 132. Outer portion 134 is curved
 sufficiently so that its free end is not accessible to contact an
 operator.
 A significant feature of the current invention, including the embodiment
 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, is that no potentially sharp end of the opener
 is arranged in a position that could cause injury to an operator. One end
 of the opener is secured flat against the door by an attachment means and
 the other end, the free end of the outer portion, is inaccessible due to
 the curvature of the outer portion. The primary concern for potential
 injury to an operator could arise from the door's being unexpectedly
 pushed open by an operator on the other side of the door. The door could
 be pushed open at a high rate of speed likely striking the operator on the
 inside at chest or head level.
 FIG. 13 is a top view of another embodiment 144 that is operated by a
 person's forearm or elbow. This embodiment consists of five portions, 146,
 148, 150, 152 and 154. As with the previously described embodiment, first
 portion 146 fits against the door, second portion 148 extends away from
 the door, and third portion 150 runs generally parallel to the door and
 has a contact surface on the side facing the door. In this embodiment,
 however, the outer "bumper" portion 152 has a first curved end that
 extends from the end of third portion 150, a middle section that runs
 generally parallel to the third portion and a second curved end that
 curves toward the door. A return portion 154 extends back toward the door.
 Safety is once again the primary function of the outer portion. It
 prevents a potentially sharp end of third portion 150 from injuring an
 operator. Return portion 154 likewise prevents the second end of the outer
 portion from causing injury. The middle section of the outer portion may
 be curved outwardly away from the door to further improve safety. Another
 safety feature of opener 144 is that outer portion 152 and return portion
 154, if constructed from a material of appropriate thickness and
 elasticity, are free to move or "flex" slightly should the bumper strike
 an operator. This "flex" capability should further reduce the potential
 for serious injury to an operator that is struck. If desired, however,
 portion 154 could be connected to portion 148 by an attachment means, such
 as a screw and nut, welding, a rivet, a brad, an adhesive material or any
 other suitable means.
 FIG. 19 shows another embodiment of a forearm or elbow operated sanitary
 door opener that is very similar to the embodiment of FIG. 13. In the
 opener 178 of FIG. 19, the outer portion 184 is reversed to turn toward
 the plane of the door. Said outer portion 184 has a first curved end that
 extends from third portion 182, a middle section with a contact surface
 facing the door, and a second curved end that turns toward the door.
 Return portion 186 extends from the second curved end of the outer portion
 and runs toward the door. A fastener, 188, may be used to connect the
 return portion to second portion 180 for improved fit and added stability.
 Again, the outer portion has a curved end extending from the free end of
 the third portion 182 to act as a safety bumper and prevent injury.
 FIGS. 13 and 19 are examples, which show that the safety bumper portions of
 the forearm or elbow operated embodiments of the present invention, may be
 curved either "away from" or "toward" the door. The bumper portion 152 of
 FIG. 13 curves away from the door while the bumper portion 184 of FIG. 19
 curves toward the door.
 Likewise, the first portion of each forearm or elbow operated embodiment of
 the present invention may be formed to face "away from" or "toward" the
 edge of the door. For example, in FIGS. 1 and 2 first portion 18 extends
 toward the edge of the door forming somewhat of a shape with second
 portion 20 and third portion 22 which also faces toward the edge of the
 door. It should be understood that the first portion 18 may extend in the
 opposite direction so that it faces away from the edge of the door. In
 this configuration, the first and third portions extend in opposite
 directions as illustrated in FIG. 11.
 FIG. 16 describes an embodiment 156 comprising first portion 158, second
 portion 160, third portion 162 and outer portion 164. The outer or safety
 bumper portion has a first end that is curved and extends from the free
 end of the third portion 162 and further has a second end that is
 generally straight and extends back toward the third portion. The free end
 of the outer portion rests alongside the third portion and therefore
 cannot inflict injury.
 FIGS. 17 shows a top view of another embodiment 166 of the sanitary door
 opener that is operated by a person's forearm or elbow. FIG. 18 shows a
 cross sectional view of a bumper cap 174 which is formed with a slot 176
 to slip over the potentially sharp free end of third portion 172. Exterior
 surfaces of the bumper cap are generally rounded to prevent injury. The
 bumper cap may be secured to portion 172 by a tight fit, by an adhesive or
 by an attachment means such as a screw and nut, a rivet, a brad or other
 equivalent means. The function of the bumper cap is to cover the
 potentially sharp free end of third portion 172 to prevent potential
 injury to an operator.
 FIG. 14 shows a top cap 158 and a bottom cap 160 ready for installation on
 a sanitary door opener. In this figure, the caps are formed for opener
 126; however, this is for illustration only. The caps may be used on any
 of the embodiments of the current invention that are operated by a
 person's forearm or elbow. Due to the shape of the opener, a top opening
 and a bottom opening are formed. In other embodiments, the openings are
 present in different shapes. The purpose of the top and bottom caps is to
 offer further safety protection to prevent injury to an operator should
 any edges of the opener including the top and bottom edges unexpectedly
 strike him.
 FIGS. 15A and 15B are section views of the top cap 158 and bottom cap 160,
 respectively, shown in FIG. 14. Edges 166 and 168 are recessed to fit
 inside the top and bottom opening of the opener to hold the caps in their
 preferred positions. A recess 172 in the bottom cap is provided for the
 head of a fastener, such as a screw, pin, rivet, brad or equivalent
 attachment means. A complimentary screw boss 170 is shown in the top cap.
 The caps may be hollow with walls such as 162 and 164 or they may be
 solid. The caps may be made of a rigid or a semi-flexible or flexible
 material. In all cases, the cap is formed to have a rounded or curved
 outside surface that would not cause injury if an operator were struck.
 The primary benefit of the caps is to cover the top and bottom edges of
 the opener and thereby prevent them from causing injury.
 While several embodiments of the present invention have been shown in the
 drawings and described herein, such is for exemplary purposes only and the
 invention is limited only by the scope and spirit of the appended claims