Abstract:
A portal covering such as door or window having a handle that rotates as the door or window rotates. Essentially this portal covering includes a handle, that is rotatably mounted onto the portal covering and that drives the door around an axis associated with a frame or wall. As the handle is rotated on its axis on the cover, the cover rotates on its axis on the frame. Similarly, as the cover rotates within the frame, the handle rotates with this rotating cover allowing a user to always have contact with the handle at all angles of rotation of the cover. The rotation is accomplished through a gearing system which in this case could be in the form of a miter gear, or other bevel gears or a direct drive linking two shafts together. Other embodiments are also possible such as drive mechanisms associated with a push plate, cables and pulleys, gear boxes, push plates or any other type of drive system that incorporates the rotational movement of a handle which translates into the rotational movement of a door.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is based upon U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/896,744 Filed on Jun. 29, 2001 and wherein priority is claimed under 35 U. S. C. § 120. This application also claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 371 and also under 35 U.S.C. §120 from PCT/US02/20919 filed on Jul. 1, 2002. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Handles for doors, windows and other portal coverings are known in the art. For example, the following references show doors or windows that work with handles U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,122,863; 4,945,679; 4,860,493; 2,576,536; 1,663,175; 1,539,155; 1,220,144 all incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0003]     The present state of the art suffers from the following problem in that none of the references cited above disclose the use of a handle that rotates with the window or door as it is opening or closing thus allowing the user an easier grasp of the door or window, nor a handle that drives a door or window open or closed.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     The present invention relates to a system that was designed to overcome the problem of the references cited above by presenting a portal covering such as door or window having a handle that rotates as the door or window rotates. Essentially this portal covering includes a handle, that is rotatably mounted onto the portal covering and that drives the door around an axis associated with a frame or wall. The handle is coupled to a shaft that is coupled to the portal covering via couplings which have bearings. On an end of the shaft is a bevel gear that meshes with an adjacent bevel gear. The adjacent gear is coupled to a shaft extending on a different axis from the first shaft. There is also a second, oppositely spaced gear positioned on this second shaft opposite the first gear. This second gear on the second shaft couples with a fixed gear that is fixed to a cover frame such as a door frame or a window frame. As the handle is rotated on its axis on the cover, the cover rotates on its axis on the frame. Similarly, as the cover rotates within the frame, the handle rotates with this rotating cover allowing a user to always have contact with the handle at all angles of rotation of the cover.  
         [0005]     The gears in this case could be in the form of a miter gear, a or other bevel gears or a direct drive linking two shafts together. Other embodiments are also possible such as drive mechanisms associated with a push plate, cables and pulleys, gear boxes, push plates or any other type of drive system that incorporates the rotational movement of a handle which translates into the rotational movement of a door. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which disclose at least one embodiment of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.  
         [0007]     In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a first embodiment of an open faced cover containing the rotating handle;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a front view of a second embodiment of an open faced cover containing the rotating handle; and  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a front view of a third embodiment of an open cover containing the rotating handle; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a fourth embodiment of the invention showing gear boxes;  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention wherein there is shown an offset handle shaft;  
         [0013]      FIG. 6 , is a close up view of a connection between an offset handle shaft and an L-shaped gear box;  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a door having L-shaped gear boxes in alignment with the handle shaft and disposed inside of the door;  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a door with an elongated handle;  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a door with a double rotatable handle;  
         [0017]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a door with a push lever disposed on the door opposite the handle for pushing open the door;  
         [0018]      FIG. 11A  discloses an open front view of another embodiment of the invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 11B  is a side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 11A ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 11C  is a top view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 11A  in an open position;  
         [0021]      FIG. 11D  is a top view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 11A  wherein the door is in a closed position;  
         [0022]      FIG. 12A  is a front exposed view of another embodiment of the invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 12B  is a side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 12A ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 12C  is a top view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 12A ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 13A  is a top view of a hinge system shown in both an open and closed position;  
         [0026]      FIG. 13B  is a top view of the hinge system shown in  FIG. 13A  wherein this embodiment shows the door in a closed position;  
         [0027]      FIG. 13C  is a top view of the hinge system shown in  FIG. 13A  wherein the door is shown in an open position;  
         [0028]      FIG. 13D  is a top view of the hinge system shown in  FIG. 13A  wherein the door is shown in the open position;  
         [0029]      FIG. 14  is a top view of a first embodiment of a vent system; and  
         [0030]      FIG. 15  is a top view of a second embodiment of a vent system. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0031]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a first embodiment of an open-faced portal covering device  10  comprising a portal covering such as a door or window  12  and a rotating handle  14 .  
         [0032]     Rotating handle  14  can be substantially loop shaped or U-shaped so that a user can grab onto handle  14 . Handle  14  is coupled to a rotatable shaft  16  that is rotatably coupled to cover  12  via a series of couplings  18 . Disposed at one end of rotatable shaft  16  is a gear  20  such as a bevel gear, that is shaped frusto-conically so that it meshes with an adjacent frusto-conically shaped gear  22 .  
         [0033]     Frusto-conically shaped gear  22  is coupled to rotatable shaft  24 . Rotatable shaft  24  is rotatably coupled to cover  12  via a second series of couplings  26 . These couplings  26  allow shaft  24  to rotate inside.  
         [0034]     Disposed on an opposite end of gear  22 , is gear  28  which rotates as shaft  24  rotates.  
         [0035]     Gear  28  meshes with fixed gear  30  which is coupled to shaft  32 . Shaft  32  is fixed to door frame  34 .  
         [0036]     In operation, as a user grabs handle  14 , to open door  12 , handle  14  rotates, rotating shaft  16 . Shaft  16  rotates within couplings  18  so that it turns gear  20 . As gear  20  rotates, it rotates gear  22  rotating shaft  24  within couplings  26 . Gear  28 , which is coupled to rotating shaft  24  rotates with shaft  24  around fixed gear  30 . Thus, as a person grabs door handle  14 , it automatically starts door or cover  12  turning within its hinges and rotating within frame  34 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 2  is a front view of a second embodiment of an open door containing the rotating handle. In this embodiment, shaft  24  is placed at the bottom of cover  12  wherein shaft  16  also extends down through couplings  18  so that gear  20  meshes with gear  22 . With this design the above listed components work together in a manner similar to that of the first embodiment.  
         [0038]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the third embodiment of the invention. With this design, shaft  24  extends diagonally down from stationary gear  30  to gear  20 , so that gear  28  meshes with gear  30  and gear  22  meshes with gear  20 . Couplings  26  hold shaft  24  in place so that while gear  22  rotates with gear  20  shaft  24  revolves around a single axis.  
         [0039]      FIG. 4  is a front view of an open faced cover wherein in this embodiment, there are two direct drives  42 , and  50  that are used in place of gears  20  and  22 , and  28  and  30  respectively. Direct drives are essentially closed compartments of meshed gears that can be either bevel gears, miter gears, worm gears or any other type of joining apparatus that is used to join to rotatable shafts together at a substantially right angle. In addition, in this embodiment, handle  14  has a rotatable center region  14 ′ which allows this center region to rotate about a vertical axis as the entire handle  14  rotates within cover  12 . In that way, the user does not have to loosen his or her grip on handle  14  as it is rotating.  
         [0040]     All embodiments provide the benefit of a door handle that rotates with a door as the door rotates. This handle type arrangement is designed to both rotate in response to the rotation of the door or window but also to help initiate the rotation of the door or window.  
         [0041]     When a user pulls on handle  14 , it starts shaft  16  rotating thus starting gear  20  rotating as well. As gear  20  rotates it rotates gear  22  thus also turning shaft  24  and opposite gear  28 .  
         [0042]     The initiation of rotation of gear  28  against stationary gear  30  starts covering  12  rotating within frame  34 .  
         [0043]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention wherein there is shown an offset handle shaft  16 . This offset handle shaft  16  is coupled to handle  14  having curved handle supports  14 A and  14 B. Couplings  18  hold shaft  16  to door  12  wherein shaft  16  rotates within couplings  18 . Adjacent to a top coupling  18  is a spur gear  60  which rotates with shaft  16 . There is also an additional spur gear  70  which meshes with spur gear  60  and also with toothed rack  80 . There is an L-shaped gear box  50  which is coupled to spur gear  70  via a shaft (not shown). Thus, as spur gear  60  rotates from handle  14  rotating, spur gear  70  rotates causing gears disposed inside gear box  50  to rotate to cause shaft  24  to rotate.  
         [0044]     Coupled to shaft  24  are shaft couplings  27  which allow shaft  24  to rotate. There is also an additional gear box  51  which contains a fixed gear disposed therein. The fixed gear serves as a fixed rotation point which causes the door to rotate as shaft  24  rotates (See  FIG. 1 ). The fixed gear has a shaft that extends into a frame coupling  90  which is attached via a plate  92  to a frame  34 .  FIG. 6 , is a close up view of a connection between an offset handle shaft and an L-shaped gear box  50 .  
         [0045]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a door  12  having L-shaped gear boxes  50  and  51  in alignment with the handle shaft  16  and disposed on an inside section of the door  12 . The second gear box  51  is attached to door  12  so that there is a fixed shaft  91  which extends into frame coupling  90 . Frame coupling  90  is coupled to frame  34  via plate  92 . With this design, frame coupling  90  and pin block  94  are both disposed on door  12  so that they can be easily attached to frame  34 .  
         [0046]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of door  12  with an elongated handle  15 . Elongated handle  15  is designed so that it is easier for a user to grab onto a handle and rotate that handle.  
         [0047]     With this design, handle  15  extends from a lower coupling  18  to an upper coupling  18  and is coupled on both ends by handle supports  14 A and  14 B.  
         [0048]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a door with a double rotatable handle  17 . This double rotatable handle  17  is rotatably attached to handle supports  14 A and  14 B and is freely rotatable within handle supports  14 A and  14 B so that as a user rotates handle  17  about door  12  via shaft  16 , handle  17  rotates as well to aid the user in an easy grip of handle  17 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a door with a push lever  100  disposed on the door opposite the handle for pushing open the door  12 . Push lever  100  is coupled to door  12  via a plate  102  and a pin  104 . Push lever  100  has a top end  100 A which is coupled at one end to rack  80  so that when a user pushes a bottom end  100 B of lever  100  top end  100 B moves forward pulling rack  80  with it. As rack  80  moves, spur gear  70  rotates rotating spur gear  60  and the gears in gear housing  50  which then rotates shaft  24  and the gears in housing  51  which then rotate around fixed shaft  91  causing door  12  to rotate within frame  34 . The distance of bottom end  100 B from pin  104  creates an additional moment force which adds leverage for the user.  
         [0050]      FIG. 11A  discloses an open front view of another embodiment of the invention wherein with this design, there is a door  101  with a pulley system  105  that is used to activate the door and handle connection. Pulley system  105  includes spindles  102  and  104  positioned at each end along with a first pulley subsystem  110  and a second pulley subsystem  120 . First pulley subsystem  110  includes a pulley cable or string,  112 , a set of pulley wheels  114 ,  115 ,  116  and  117  coupled inside of a track in door  101 . First wheel  114  is positioned adjacent to rotating spindle  102  so that cable  112  feeds through first wheel  114  and substantially vertically up to second wheel  115 . Cable  112  wraps around cable  112  and then extends horizontally out to third wheel  116 . This cable  112  then wraps down to fourth wheel  117  wherein the cable wraps around fourth wheel  117  and is then attached to spindle  104 .  
         [0051]     Second pulley system  120  is structured substantially similar to first pulley system  110 . Second pulley system includes a pulley cable or string,  122 , a set of pulley wheels  124 ,  125 ,  126  and  127  coupled inside of a track in door  101 . First wheel  124  is positioned adjacent to rotating spindle  102  so that cable  122  feeds through first wheel  124  and substantially vertically up to second wheel  125 . Cable  122  wraps around wheel  125  and then extends horizontally out to third wheel  126 . This cable  122  then wraps down to fourth wheel  127  wherein the cable wraps around fourth wheel  127  and is then attached to spindle  104 . Spindle  104  is fixed in place by a stationary bracket  130  wherein this stationary bracket  130  is coupled to an associated wall or door frame, such that door  101  pivots on any known hinge system.  
         [0052]      FIG. 11B  shows the side view of door  101  with a handle  103  extending out therefrom.  FIGS. 11C and 11D  show top views of door  101  in both an open and closed position.  
         [0053]     Essentially, the pulley system works as follows, when handle  103  is turned, spindle rod or shaft  102  rotates so that it pulls on cable  112  and releases cable  122  by unwinding from spindle  104 . By pulling on cable  112 , it creates tension in cable  112  to cause door  101  to rotate about spindle  104  to release additional cable  112  which is wrapped around spindle  104 . This rotation of door  101  around spindle  104  allows an additional length of cable to travel up and around pulley wheels  114 ,  115 ,  116  and  117  to allow handle  103  to rotate. When rotating handle  103  back, cable  112  is released, and instead, cable  122  is pulled on so that door  101  rotates back. This occurs because cable  122  is wrapped in an opposite direction from cable  112 . Thus, two different pulley systems  110  and  120  may be used because rotation of the door handle creates tension in a particular pulley system in one direction and a release of tension in the opposite direction. With this design there can also be only one single cable so that cable  112  can be used also for second pulley subsystem  120  as well.  
         [0054]      FIGS. 12A, 12B  and  12 C relate to another embodiment of the invention. In this design, there is a pushrod system  150  which is disposed in shafts of door  101 . Pushrod system  150  includes a gearing or teeth section  153  coupled to a rod or section of handle  103 . Teeth section  153  meshes with teeth section  155  which is coupled to a vertical rod  157 . Vertical rod  157  extends up a side of door  101  to a top region of door  101 . Coupled to this top region of vertical rod  157  is an offset coupler  160 . Offset coupler  160  allows a substantially horizontal rod  162  to be coupled thereto. Substantially horizontal rod  162  is coupled to offset coupler  160  in a manner so that substantially horizontal rod  162  is substantially offset from substantially vertical rod  157 . In addition, at an opposite end, substantially horizontal rod  162  is coupled to a second substantially vertical rod  170  via an additional offset coupler  172 . Opposite additional offset coupler  172 , substantially vertical rod  170  is coupled to a stationary hinge  180 .  
         [0055]     Thus, the door operates as follows: when a user pulls handle  103 , handle  103  in turn rotates gearing or teeth section  153  which meshes with teeth section  155  which then correspondingly rotates substantially vertical rod  157 . As substantially vertical rod  157  rotates, it turns offset coupler  160  which then correspondingly pushes or pulls on substantially horizontal rod  162  which is driven by offset coupler  160  by being coupled radially offset from substantially vertical rod  157 . This offset coupling is shown in  FIG. 12C . As substantially horizontal rod  162  drives axially, it in turn causes door  101  to rotate because second or additional offset coupler  172  is fixed in position. Therefore, to accommodate the movement of substantially horizontal rod  162 , door  101  must rotate as horizontal rod  162  pushes or pulls on offset coupler  172 .  
         [0056]      FIGS. 13A, 13B ,  13 C and  13 D show an embodiment of a hinge for door  101 . With this design,  FIG. 13A  shows this hinge  200  both its open and closed positions. Offset hinge  200  includes a sliding track  210 , wherein door  101  is slidable within sliding track  210  via a sliding pin  212 . There is also a coupling or plate  220 , which is rotatably coupled to door  101  and also to a stationary frame or wall  224 . Plate  220  is rotatably coupled to both door  101  and also to frame or wall  224 . Therefore, when door  101  rotates, it slides along sliding track  210  via sliding pin  212 . as shown in  FIG. 13C . Plate  220  rotates in its coupling to door  101  and also relative to frame or wall  224  so that door rotates relative to frame or wall  224  along a vertical axis offset from frame or wall  224 . With this system, the substantially vertical axis of rotation moves relative to the position of the door. For example, the arrows shown in  FIG. 13D  show the path of the axis of rotation as door  101  rotates from a substantially open position wherein door  101  extends substantially perpendicular to an extension of wall  224  and a substantially closed position wherein door  101  extends substantially parallel or along wall  224 .  
         [0057]      FIG. 14  shows another embodiment of the invention wherein with this design, there is a slidable vent door or louvre  300  which is associated with either the geared system or embodiments, the pulley system or embodiments or the push-rod system or embodiments. With this design, vent or louvre door slides in a main door  101  so that it allows air to circulate and to break any atomospheric difference on both sides of the door as the door is opened. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 14 , slidable vent door  300  contains a bevel gear  302  which works with gear  301 . However, gear  301  can also work with an associated spur gear or any other type of gearing mechanism that can be used to drive louvre or slidable vent  300 . Thus, as a handle or door rotates, this translates into a rotation of a shaft which then results in the rotation of gear  20  causing vent  300  to move axially to open up an air hole or louvre.  
         [0058]      FIG. 15  shows another embodiment wherein with this view there is a top view of a rotatable shaft  315  which has a coupling or plate  320  having a slidable track  322  coupled thereto. Coupling or plate  320  is coupled to rotatable shaft via a pin  324  formed in an eccentric region of rotatable shaft  315 . Thus as shaft  315  rotates, it causes pin to rotate from a first position to a second position wherein this rotational movement of rotatable shaft  315  results in an axial movement of coupling  320  which results in vent or louvre door  330  opening. Coupling  320  is fixed to vent  330  via coupling pin  332  so that it does not rotate in relation to vent  330 . Thus, as a user pulls on a handle, it causes rotatable shaft  315  to rotate causing pin  324  to rotate which results in an axial movement of coupling  320  which then results in an axial movement of louvre or vent  330  to open up ventilation for a door allowing for an easier opening of the door.  
         [0059]     These ventilation systems can also work in conjunction with a transmission system such that as a user rotates a handle the rotation of the handle results first in the opening of the louvre or vent  300  or  330  and then results in a drive to open the door. This type of transmission may be accomplished via an offset planetary gearing system that first contacts a gearing system for a vent and then engages a gearing system for a door. In addition, any other type of gearing system for this type of successive interaction that is known in the art can also be used.  
         [0060]     Accordingly, while at least one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.