ACCESSORY DOOR HANDLE

Abstract

An accessory door handle can be clamped onto an existing door handle currently installed in the door. The accessory door handle can be dedicated for use when an individual is wearing gloves, so that the existing door handle may be reserved for use when not wearing a glove. This decreases the chances of contamination and makes the handles easier to clean. The accessory door handle is suitable for use in laboratory and clean room conditions.

Claims

1. An accessory door handle, comprising: a handle portion substantially in the form of a vertical bar for opening or closing a door; and a clamp portion for attaching the accessory door handle to an existing door handle; wherein the clamp portion defines a slot closely fitting the existing door handle; and wherein the clamp portion comprises a top lip portion and a bottom lip portion that may be tightened to allow the clamp portion to grip the existing door handle.

2. The accessory door handle according to claim 1, wherein the handle portion and the clamp portion are separable.

3. The accessory door handle according to claim 2, wherein the handle portion comprises a recessed portion on the bottom surface; and the clamp portion has a raised portion on the upper surface; wherein the raised portion of the claim portion fits into the recessed portion of the handle portion.

4. The accessory door handle according to claim 3, wherein the recessed portion on the bottom surface of the handle portion is shaped to have a plurality of first contact points distributed around the edge of the recessed portion.

5. The accessory door handle according to claim 4, wherein the raised portion on the upper surface of the clamp portion is shaped to have a plurality of second contact points distributed around the edge of the recessed portion; and, wherein the plurality of first contact points on the recessed portion on the bottom surface of the handle portion aligns with the second plurality of contact points on the raised portion.

6. The accessory door handle according to claim 2, wherein the handle portion is attached to the clamp portion via a single attachment screw.

7. The accessory door handle according to claim 6, wherein the clamp portion has an access hole in its bottom surface to allow a tool to pass through and reach the attachment screw.

8. The accessory door handle according to claim 2, wherein the lip portions of the clamp portion may be tightened by a plurality of tightening screws that thread through both the top lip portion and bottom lip portion.

9. The accessory door handle according to claim 8, wherein the clamp portion is operable to be tightened around the existing door handle to prevent slipping of the clamp portion around the existing door handle when the door is opened or closed.

10. The accessory door handle according to claim 9, wherein the clamp portion comprises an inner surface that makes contact with the existing door handle, wherein said inner surface is shaped such that at least four sections of the inner surface bear the rotational load when the accessory handle is used to open or close the door.

11. The accessory door handle according to claim 10, wherein the clamp portion comprises an inner surface that makes contact with the existing door handle, wherein said inner surface is shaped such that at least two sections of the inner surface bear the pushing or pulling load when the accessory handle is used to open or close the door, such that the door handle accessory does not tilt during the opening or closing.

12. An accessory door handle, comprising: a handle portion operable to open or close the door; and a clamp portion for attaching the accessory door handle to an existing door handle; wherein the clamp portion attaches around the existing door handle.

13. The accessory door handle according to claim 12, wherein the handle portion and the clamp portion are separable.

14. The accessory door handle according to claim 13, wherein the handle portion comprises a recessed portion on the bottom surface; and the clamp portion has a raised portion on the upper surface; wherein the raised portion of the claim portion fits into the recessed portion of the handle portion.

15. The accessory door handle according to claim 14, wherein the recessed portion on the bottom surface of the handle portion is shaped to have a plurality of first contact points distributed around the edge of the recessed portion.

16. The accessory door handle according to claim 15, wherein the raised portion on the upper surface of the clamp portion is shaped to have a plurality of second contact points distributed around the edge of the recessed portion; and, wherein the plurality of first contact points on the recessed portion on the bottom surface of the handle portion aligns with the second plurality of contact points on the raised portion.

17. The accessory door handle according to claim 12, wherein the handle portion is attached to the clamp portion via a single attachment screw.

18. The accessory door handle according to claim 17, wherein the clamp portion has an access hole in its bottom surface to allow a tool to pass through and reach the attachment screw.

19. The accessory door handle according to claim 12, wherein the clamp portion comprises a top lip portion and a bottom lip portion that may be tightened to allow the clamp portion to grip the existing door handle; and wherein the clamp portion may be tightened by a plurality of tightening screws that thread through both the top lip portion and bottom lip portion.

20. The accessory door handle according to claim 19, wherein the clamp portion is operable to be tightened around the existing door handle to prevent slipping of the clamp portion around the existing door handle when the door is opened or closed.

21. The accessory door handle according to claim 12, wherein the clamp portion comprises an inner surface that makes contact with the existing door handle, wherein said inner surface is shaped such that at least four sections of the inner surface bear the rotational load when the accessory handle is used to open or close the door.

22. The accessory door handle according to claim 21, wherein the clamp portion comprises an inner surface that makes contact with the existing door handle, wherein said inner surface is shaped such that at least two sections of the inner surface bear the pushing or pulling load when the accessory handle is used to open or close the door, such that the door handle accessory does not tilt during the opening or closing.

23. An accessory door handle, comprising: a handle means operable to open or close the door; and a clamp means for attaching the accessory door handle to an existing door handle; wherein the bottom of the handle means attaches to the top of the clamp means.

24. The accessory door handle according to claim 23, wherein the clamp means further comprises grip means for bearing a load force when the door is operated.

25. The accessory door handle according to claim 23, further comprising: a shape adapter means for conforming the accessory door handle to the shape of the existing door handle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The various embodiments of the invention are described in more detail with reference to the advantageous embodiments presented as examples and to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of an accessory handle according to an embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of an accessory handle according to an embodiment.

[0018] FIG. 3 depicts a front view of an accessory handle according to an embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 4 depicts a close-up view of the clamp portion of an accessory handle according to an embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 5 depicts an embodiment in which the clamp portion of the accessory handle comprise a top plate and a separate bottom plate.

[0021] FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment in which a shape adapter is used to define a shape of the slot of the clamp portion of the accessory handle to better conform to the shape of the existing door handle.

[0022] FIG. 7 depicts a close-up view of the underside of the clamp portion of an accessory handle according to an embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 8 depicts a side view of the opening side of the clamp portion according to an embodiment.

[0024] FIG. 9 depicts a close-up view of the underside of the handle portion including a recessed portion shaped to form contact points. The shape of the recessed portion and the corresponding shape of the upper side of the clamp portion allows for alternate placements of the handle portion according to the door swing and existing handle placement.

[0025] FIG. 10 depicts a close-up view of the upper side of the clamp portion including a raised portion shaped to form contact points. The shape of the raised portion and the corresponding shape of the recessed portion on the underside of the handle portion allows for alternate placements of the handle portion according to the door swing and existing handle placement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In the following description of the preferred embodiment, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific embodiment in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0027] FIGS. 1-3 depict an accessory handle 10 according to an embodiment. The handle comprises a bar portion 11 and a clamp portion 12.

[0028] As seen in FIG. 1, the accessory handle 10 may be attached to an existing door handle currently installed into the door via the clamp portion 12. An individual may use the accessory handle 10 to turn the door handle 1001 without touching any part of existing door handle 1001.

[0029] The clamp defines a slot 15 through which the door handle 1001 fits. As shown in FIG. 3, the shape of the slot 15 can be tailored to exactly match the shape of a particular door handle. Alternatively, slot 15 may be made into a shape designed to fit a large number of different door handles, such as either a knob style or lever style, and regardless of whether the shape of the attachment point on door handle 1001 is circular or oval. In other embodiments, the edges of the slot may optionally be lined with rubber or other high friction material (not shown) to improve fit and the strength of the grip between the clamp portion 12 and the door handle 1001. The clamp portion 12 includes two lips 13. The handle 10 can be made to fit more snugly and securely over the door handle 1001 by tightening the attachment screws 14 to bring the lips 13 closer together. In one embodiment the clamp portion 12 is secured to the door handle 1001 with attachment screws. In some embodiments, the attachment screws can be those known in the art, for example M5×10 screws. In another embodiment, the attachment screws can be screws with custom thread thickness and thread pitch to ensure a more secure installation.

[0030] The accessory handle 10 as shown in FIGS. 1-3 is installed by first removing door handle 1001, attaching accessory handle to the door handle 1001, and then replacing the completed assembly of door handle 1001 and accessory handle 10 onto the door. This results in the handle 10 being attached to the door handle 1001 such that the accessory handle can be left installed permanently, or can be removed if necessary in the event the existing door and/or handle are replaced, allowing the accessory handle to be reused on the replacement door.

[0031] FIG. 4 depicts a close-up view of the clamp 12. The four areas 41 bear the rotational load when a user is turning the handle 10 to open the door and prevent the handle 10 from rotating around the shaft of the existing door handle without also moving the said existing door handle. The two areas 42 bear the pushing and pulling load when someone opens or closes the door using the handle 10 and prevent handle 10 from tilting backward or forward when opening the door. Area 43 bears a sideways load during the clamping process.

[0032] FIG. 5 depicts an embodiment in which the clamp portion 52 of the accessory handle comprise a top plate 53 that is apiece with the handle and a separate bottom plate 54. This design allows the handle to be installed on a door handle that is already attached to the door. The bottom plate 54 is attached to the top plate 53 using attachment screws through the lips 55.

[0033] FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment in which the clamp portion 62 of the accessory handle is a single piece and defines a slot 63 through which a door handle can fit. To accommodate different shapes of the door handle, an adapter 64 designed to fit into the slot 63 may be used to better conform to the shape of the door handle.

[0034] FIG. 7 depicts a view of the underside of clamp portion 12 of the accessory handle showing an access hole 71 in the bottom of the clamp portion 52 to allow a screwdriver or other tool access to the handle attachment screw 72. In one embodiment the bar portion 11 is secured to the claim portion 12 with a standard attachment screw known in the art, for example a M4×25 screw. In other embodiments, the attachment screws can be screws with custom thread thickness and thread pitch to ensure a more secure installation. The attachment screw 72 is located on the underside of bar portion 11 such that the attachment screw 72 will not be visible once the handle 10 is installed.

[0035] FIG. 8 depicts a side view of clamp portion 12 of the accessory handle in which the lips 13 of the claim portion 12 are spaced sufficiently apart to allow access to the pin mechanism 81 of the door handle 1001.

[0036] FIGS. 9 and 10 depict a close up of the manner in which handle portion 11 attaches to clamp portion 12. The surface of the bottom of handle portion 11 has a recessed portion 91 of generally rectangular shape, with six molded upper contact points 92 distributed around the edge of recessed portion 91 as shown in FIG. 9. Clamp portion 12 has on its top surface a raised portion 101 that matches the shape of the recessed portion 91 in the bottom of handle portion 11, and similarly has six lower contact points 102 distributed around the edge of raised portion 101. When assembled, the raised portion 101 on the top surface of clamp portion 12 slides into the recessed portion 91 on the bottom surface of handle portion 11, aligning the upper contact points 92 with the lower contact points 102. The shape of recessed portion 91 and raised portion 101, as well as the alignment of the upper contact points 92 with the lower contact points 102 provides the benefit of an extremely strong connection between handle portion 11 and clamp portion 12, preventing any twisting or shearing between said parts.

[0037] The shape of the raised portion 101 on clamp portion 12 and the corresponding shape of the recessed portion 91 on the underside of the handle portion 11 allows for alternate placements of the handle portion 11 according to the door swing and existing door handle placement. The shape combined with the use of a single attachment screw 72 allows for rotating the placement of the handle portion 11 to allow for both left- and right-hand doors, creating a universal door handle accessory able to be installed on almost any existing door and handle.

[0038] The accessory handle may be made from aluminum or another material that is easy to clean and sterilize. An eye-catching finish may be applied to the handle to make it more likely to be noticed by people. For instance, if made of aluminum, the handle may be anodized to a red color. Other material and other colors may be used as appropriate based on the specifics of the environment. With reference to FIGS. 1-3, the handle may also include a conspicuous legend 17, which may be inlaid or use embossed or embedded lettering, to remind personnel of proper usage of the handle.

[0039] The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.