Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns a system primarily for opening or closing doors that interact with a door frame, the system including a door handle that interacts with a lock case, in which lock case a rotating movement of the handle is converted to a linear movement of a latch bolt which interacts with a strike plate disposed in the door frame, wherein the door handle is actuated in a first mode of operation by applying a downward rotating force on the door handle, the first rotating application of force occurring about a first axis extending through the lock case.

The present invention also concerns a method for opening a door where a door handle is operated in a first position by a first mode of operation for opening by applying a downward rotating force on a door handle, where the door handle rotates about a first axis extending through a lock case, where a lock bolt is actuated to perform a linear movement into the lock case.

Background of the Invention

US 5,547,235 concerns a simple gear mechanism which converts in principle a vertical movement of a pivoting bracket to the rotating movement in a traditional door. There is disclosed use of a gear mechanism, but by looking through the patent itself it appears that the gear mechanism consists of a rotary cylinder to which is provided a pin disposed in an inclined guide, where by turning the cylinder the pin is actuated in a direction perpendicular to the rotary axis of the cylinder whereby the pin, which is provided in the second gear half part, actuates this gear half part into performing a rotary movement about a second axis perpendicular to the axis about which the door handle is rotating.

WO 2005/010301 discloses how by an up-and-down-movement of a door handle this movement is converted into a rotary movement of a normal four-sided shaft extending through the door. Study of the patent document has not revealed to me how to provide conversion of force from the rotary movement about an axis to the rotary movement about the other axis. In this regard the description is cryptic, and patentwise I will assert that the invention is so badly described that the invention cannot be performed by a skilled in the art. In connection with patents this will be a possible ground for opposition against a patent. Technically, by means of a rocker arm it is attempted to actuate a pin extending through the four-sided shaft. Unfortunately, the rocker arm will actuate the pin into moving in two opposite directions whereby it is not possible to transmit a turning movement. It is not shown how to solve this problem.

WO 88/03982 concerns a door handle which is to be lifted perpendicularly to the door in order to perform opening, and where the handle, when lifted, actuates a cylinder such that an automatic conversion into a rotating movement is effected. Opening the handle by lifting the outer side of the handle entails that a pawl presses down on a cylinder which is thereby brought to rotate. In that way a vertical movement is converted into a rotary movement by means of a gear mechanism. GB 1 407 955 concerns the use of a gear mechanism consisting of a worm drive. However, the worm drive is only used for adjusting the position of the door handle in relation to the door such that a clamping can be achieved by pressing the door handle against the door by actuating the gear. Access to the gear occurs from the underside of the door handle, either by a screwdriver or by a special tool. Object of the Invention

It is the object of the invention to achieve two different modes of operation for actuating door handles. A further object is to facilitate single-handed operation of a door handle in hospitals or institutions. A further object is that the door handle can be operated by an elbow without using the hands. Description of the Invention

The object can be achieved if the preamble of claim 1 is consequently designed such that the door handle is actuated in a second mode of operation by applying a downward rotating force on the door handle where the second rotating application of force occurs about a second axis extending perpendicularly to the first axis. Hereby can be achieved that the door handle can be operated quite normally where the application of force is to occur in parallel with the door face in downward direction in order that a door can be opened. In most regular situations of use this is to be preferred, but if e.g. only one hand is free, it is inconvenient simultaneously to press down on a door handle and maybe at the same time actuate the door, for example by pressing inwards to perform a door opening. This problem can be solved by the invention in that the door handle has two different modes of operation. The first mode of operation is the commonly known whereas the second mode of operation is achieved in that the door handle is pivoted such that the door handle is now operated in a downward direction of a door handle extending into space and in a direction which is perpendicular to the door face instead of in parallel with the door face as in the first mode of operation. The handle can be provided with slightly greater length than a traditional door handle. This means that if only one hand is free, automatic opening is effected just by depressing the door handle, e.g. by a porter pushing a bed. When applying the invention it thus becomes possible to open inwardly moving doors in a very simple way. Instead of pressing the handle down, one may instead design the invention such that a slight pull on the handle in upwards direction will cause opening. The oblique upward pull in the handle will at the same time provide the door the required force for effecting a door opening in towards the person trying to open the door. This invention is envisaged to be used at both sides of the door where at one side of the door, pushing downwards on the handle projecting from the door is to be performed, while at the other side of the door pulling in the same handle is to be performed. The opening mechanism may include a lock with at least two settings that lock the door handle in the first or the second mode of operation, respectively. Hereby it can be achieved that it becomes possible to set the door handle permanently in one of the two selected modes of operation. A door handle as described by the invention can thus be used largely everywhere, and shifting is possible just by moving a lock bolt. A door handle in the first mode of operation thereby becomes entirely identical to existing door handles in operation, whereas the door handle in the second mode of operation is to be operated perpendicularly. Thereby, by a simple change it will be possible to shift between two permanent settings. The lock of the opening mechanism may include a third setting where the door handle can be freely operated by application of force about the first or the second axis. By introducing a third setting where no locking in one of the two other settings occurs, it will be possible to operate the door handle optionally. It may be advantageous with various applications that the door handle is pivoted directly from one position to the other, and that it is functioning irrespective of the position in which it is operated. In other applications, a permanent locking of the door handle in one of the two permanent positions may possibly be desired, after which the door handle only can be operated in the correct position.

The opening mechanism may advantageously contain a gear mechanism including a first and a second gear wheel, wherein the gear wheels interact in the second mode of operation, the first gear wheel rotating about the first axis and the second gear wheel rotating about the second axis. In order to provide transmission of the rotating force in the second mode of operation, a gearing is used consisting of two gear wheels for transforming force from one direction into the other. The first gear wheel is thus to be used for rotating the traditional shaft through a lock case whereas the second gear wheel rotates perpendicularly thereto, transmits the forces between the two gear wheels. Advantageously, both gear wheels can be obliquely toothed with teeth that are inclined at an angle of e.g. 45°. Other tooth combinations using other angles for the toothing are also possible. On the fact that it will only be a few of the teeth on the gear wheels that are to be used at all in order to transmit the forces, it may be envisaged that the gear wheels are not complete but only sections of gear wheels are applied. Hereby it becomes possible to use angular sections with teeth that can be obliquely positioned, and these angular sections may possibly be injection moulded in plastic such that the kind of gear wheels used will be very cheap.

In a first mode of operation, the door handle is not coupled to the gear wheel mechanism, where the door handle in the second mode of operation operates in that the locking mechanism locks the gear wheel mechanism in coupled position. A simple locking mechanism can be provided by a gear wheel simply being locked on a shaft if the gear wheel transmission is to be used. In this way, by very simple technical means there may be provided a reasonable shifting between the two modes of operation.

The method can include operation of the door handle by a second method of opening by applying a downward rotating force on a door handle, where the door handle rotates about a second axis which is perpendicular to the first axis. Hereby may be achieved a flexible door handle which can be operated in two different modes of operation, as already indicated. The opening mechanism can be used in used in hospitals or institutions. The invention may advantageously be used in e.g. hospital or institutions where it is often necessary to open doors with one hand only, as the other hand of the person maybe is occupied with other use. By the changeable door handle it thus becomes possible to attain a rapid opening of doors in a far cheaper way that by automatic door opening. Description of the Drawing

Fig. 1 shows a possible embodiment of the invention with closed housing, Fig. 2 shows the same embodiment but with a transparent housing such that the internal details can be seen.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Fig. 1 shows a door handle according to the invention 2, where the handle 4 itself interacts with a housing 6, the housing 6 being connected to an actuation shaft 8, and where an intermediate piece 10 is provided for positioning between the housing 6 and a door. Also, there is shown a mode switch 12 which can be shifted from a position 1 to a position 2 and to a position 3.

When using the door handle, the mode switch 12 is set in one of the three settings, the first setting e.g. being normal operation where the door handle is to be actuated in parallel with the door surface for opening, whereas a position 3 e.g. can be the opposite operation where the door handle is pivoted outward perpendicularly to the door and operated by a downward movement. On the other hand, a position 2 can be an uncoupled position where the door handle can be moved from one position to the other position, and actuation can be effected irrespectively of the extreme position used, or the position possibly found between these two.

Fig. 2 shows the same embodiment as Fig. 1 , but with the variation that the housing 6 is shown transparent here. Thus it appears that the shaft 8 is goes through the housing, but continues into the shaft 14. The shaft 14 is connected with the handle 4 whereby the handle 4 can be shifted between two different positions or assume an intermediate position, as previously mentioned. The gear wheel 16 is shown below the shaft 14 which in the second position of the door handle is brought to rotate. The gear wheel 16 interacts with the gear wheel 18 which is locked on the shaft 14 and at the same time the shaft 8.

Fig. 3 shows a door 100 which is designed with a system 102 for opening the door. The system 102 consists of a door handle 104 that interacts with a housing 106. A setting button 112 is also shown in the housing which can assume three different positions. A lock case 130 is seen in the door as well, consisting of a normal latch bolt 140 and a lock bolt 142. At the opposite side of the door 100 is further shown a system 152 consisting of a door handle 154 that interacts with a housing 156. As shown on Fig. 3, the new system can be used at both sides of a door. Thus it becomes possible to operate the door handles 104, 154 with an elbow, and in one opening direction to perform a combined depression and exert a slight pull on the door handle, after which the door will open. At the opposite side of the door handle 154, the door will open by pressing the door handle inwards, thereby providing a force that opens the door. Fig. 4 shows a sectional view through a system 202 through a door 200. There is shown a door handle 204 which is fastened to a shaft 220 connected with a gear wheel 216 that interacts with another gear wheel 218. A button 212 activates a bolt 220. At the opposite side of the door is shown a housing 256 where a first gear wheel 266 and a second gear wheel 268 are shown inside the housing. Similarly there is shown a button 262 and a lock bolt 276.

It appears that the lock bolt 226 engages an intermediate plate 207 by means of a button 212 whereby the housing 206 is locked against movement relative to the door 200. Opening of the door is thus only possible by depressing the door handle 204. The rotary movement arising in the shaft 220 is transmitted to the gear wheel 216 which via the gear wheel 218 makes the shaft extending through the door rotate, whereby the door is opened.

Fig. 5 concerns the same elements as Fig. 4, why these individual drawing elements are not mentioned again. On the other hand there is a functional difference compared with Fig. 3 in that the bolt 226 via the button 212 is no longer engaging the plate 208. This means that the housing 206 now freely can perform a rotary movement relative to the rear plate 207 and to the door 200. If performing an operation of the door handle in the direction understood as normal door opening, i.e. actuating the door handle in parallel with the door face, the housing 206 will be turned. This turning automatically transmits the movement from the gear wheel 216 to the gear wheel 218 without the two gear wheels otherwise rotating in relation to each other. This transmission of force means that an action arises as if the housing 206 was rigidly connected to the through- going shaft in the door. This is not the case as the force is transmitted as indicated through the gear wheels 216, 218. The bolt 226 is shown in a middle position which allows actuation in the second direction as turning of the shaft 220 will cause actuation of the gear wheel 216, thereby turning the gear wheel 218 whereby the shaft is actuated and the door is opened. This means that this is an intermediate position where both modes of actuation are possible.

On Fig. 6, the same reference numbers are used as well. These are therefore not further explained. The only difference on Fig. 6 is that the button 212 and thereby the bolt 226 are now moved to the third position whereby the gear wheel 216 is presently locked by the bolt 226 such that this gear wheel and thereby the shaft 220 are locked in relation to the housing 206. By this locking, the function arises that the door now can be operated by a traditional actuation of the door handle 204 only. This means that the door handle acts as a very normal door handle and can be operated by all without any instruction into the use of a handle with a new function.

Fig. 7 shows a door 200 with a door front edge 201 where a door handle 204 is connected with a housing 206. The door handle 204 can be operated in two different ways by means of the button 212. A lock case 230 is seen internally of the door, consisting of a latch bolt 240 and a lock bolt 242. Screws 232 are used for securing the lock case. At the opposite side of the door is provided a housing 256 which interacts with a door handle 254. It is understood that by means of a button as the one shown by 212 is disposed at the opposite side of the door handle, one is also capable of performing a shift between the different modes of operation.