Patent ID: 7854040

Claim:
A germ barrier for protecting a person from direct contact with an unsanitary surface, the germ barrier comprising: a flexible web having an inside surface for engagement with the unsanitary surface, an outside surface, and a peripheral edge; an actuating mechanism fixed through a central aperture of the web, the actuating mechanism including an actuator manually actuable from the outside surface of the web to move the web between a compact closed position and a spread open position; and a plurality of stiffening ribs each fixed to the inside surface of the flexible web and pivotally fixed at a proximal end to the actuating mechanism, each stiffening rib having a distal end that terminates proximate the peripheral edge of the web; wherein actuating the actuator while grasping the actuating mechanism causes each stiffening rib to pivot outwardly, thereby separating the distal ends of the plurality of stiffening ribs and causing the web to assume the open position for engagement of the inside surface with the unsanitary surface; and wherein the inside surface further includes at least one high-friction pad fixed thereto to facilitate gripping the unsanitary surface.