Patent Publication Number: US-2011073612-A1

Title: Method and Apparatus for Door Handle Hygiene

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONS 
     The inventions described below relate to the field of hygiene and more specifically to the field of human hygiene associated with contact with restroom door handles and other entry and exit handles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS 
     Public restroom cleanliness has long been a concern related to the transmission of disease. The rising prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and other communicable diseases raise further concerns about maintaining personal hygiene in public restrooms and other sanitary facilities. 
     SUMMARY 
     Restroom door hygiene may be maintained using one or more configurations of the disclosed apparatus secured to the inside of a restroom door, the inside handle or otherwise secured adjacent the inside door handle. A user of the restroom or other space may remove one or more sheets of paper or other suitable material from a roll or collection of sheets for use engaging the door handle. The used sheet or sheets may be disposed after use. 
     A roll or other collection of sheets may be any suitable paper, cloth and or plastic tissue, napkin or towel and may also be treated with a suitable antibacterial compound or other treatment consistent with the task of diminishing the transmission of disease and or microorganisms from restroom doors, push plates or handles. The sheets may have any suitable shape. 
     A restroom hygiene apparatus includes a plurality of generally rectangular hygiene sheets secured together along a first edge to form a hygiene pad and means for securing and suspending the hygiene pad from a door handle to enable at least one of the plurality of hygiene sheets to be removed to shield a user from direct contact with the door handle. 
     A hygiene system includes a plurality of hygiene sheets enclosed for distribution and use in a dispenser shaped like a truncated pyramid. The base of the truncated pyramid is removably secured to the inside surface of a restroom door or a wall adjacent the door placing the hygiene sheets in a convenient location for use. The shape of the dispenser minimizes projections for snagging clothing of people passing the dispenser. 
     A hygiene system includes a plurality of generally planar hygiene sheets stacked or folded together to form a hygiene pad, a hygiene sheet dispenser in the shape of a truncated pyramid having a top, a bottom and four inclined sides, the dispenser enclosing the hygiene pad, and a dispensing slot open in the top and extending through at least a portion of at least one of the four inclined sides to permit access to the hygiene sheets and withdrawal of a single sheet at a time through the dispensing slot. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a door and handle with a door hygiene pad. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of an alternate door hygiene roll and support frame. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a door and handle with a hygiene apparatus secured on the door. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section view of the hygiene apparatus of  FIG. 3  taken along A-A. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-section view of an alternate hygiene apparatus. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the hygiene apparatus of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a door and handle with door hygiene pad  10  secured to handle  12  using attachment device  14 . Attachment device may adopt any suitable configuration to secure the door hygiene pad to a door handle, knob or lever such as heavy cloth or strap material with a hook &amp; loop fastener, a plastic or metal ring with a reclosable attachment, plastic or spring steel ring to frictionally engage the handle, knob or lever. Alternatively, attachment device  14  may be secured to door  13  adjacent to handle  12 , or to the interior handle plate such as plate  12 P door knob or lever rose. 
     Door hygiene pad  10  may be a collection of two or more removable sheets such as sheets  16  that may be collected, folded, woven, attached, secured or otherwise joined together to enable each sheet to be removed individually for use shielding a user&#39;s hand from direct contact with the door handle. For example, door hygiene pad  10  may include a plurality of sheets  16  secured together along edge  17 . Perforations  18  may be formed through each sheet such as sheet  16 A to enable each sheet to be individually removed for use and subsequent disposal. 
     Hygiene sheets  19 A may also be formed into a roll such as hygiene sheet roll  19  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Roll  19  may be supported by any suitable rack or frame such as frame  20 . Frame  20  may enable easy replacement of an empty hygiene roll after all the hygiene sheets have been used. Connector  22  is used to secure frame  20  to a door handle, knob or lever. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , hygiene apparatus  30  may be attached to any suitable structure such as a wall or door, such as door  13 , near the entrance to a restroom or other sanitary facility. Hygiene apparatus  30  is composed of housing  32  and hygiene pad  33 . Housing  32  is shaped generally like a truncated pyramid with base  32 B connecting sides  34 A,  34 B,  34 C and  34 D and enclosed by top  35 . Opening  36  extends through top  35  and at least one side such as side  34 A. Opening  36  may be a rounded rectangle, oval or rectangle and may adopt any other suitable shape. 
     Base  32 B releasably engages a suitable mounting surface such as door  13  using one or more mounting elements  37 . Mounting elements may be adhesive strips or any other suitable attachment apparatus. Alternatively, mounting elements  37  may be one side of a hook and loop fastener and the corresponding hook or loop strip may be permanently secured to any suitable mounting location. 
     Hygiene pad  33  is composed of one or more hygiene sheets such as hygiene sheets  33 A that are stacked or folded together to enable removal of a single sheet and the extension of a subsequent sheet through opening  36 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , alternate hygiene apparatus  30 B includes removable insert  31  for improving access to hygiene pad  33 B. Alternatively, base  32 B may be shaped to operate as an insert and retain hygiene pad  33 B in close proximity to opening  36 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , opening  36  includes a long axis  38  oriented toward the open side such as side  34 A. Long axis  38  may be in any suitable clock orientation relative to clock face  39  with the 6 o&#39;clock orientation preferred to enable gravity to retain hygiene pad  33  in contact with side  34 A. 
     While the preferred embodiments of the devices and methods have been described in reference to the environment in which they were developed, they are merely illustrative of the principles of the inventions. Other embodiments and configurations may be devised without departing from the spirit of the inventions and the scope of the appended claims.