The subject of the invention is a device to move a door leaf with one’s foot, preferably for sanitary cabins. The invention can be applied to different doors but it is especially advantageous in toilets where a higher hygiene is required and using one’s foot instead of a hand to move a door leaf lowers the risk of transmitting various diseases.

The most commonly known door leafs are designed to be operated with our hands through a handle or a knob which often not only let us pull or push the door but through the connection with a catch also lock the door. Touching with our hands the same surfaces by many people, especially in public toilets, is the reason for many infections and constitutes a serious health problem. Therefore, for health reasons and also to enable going through the door when our hands are busy, the doors which do not engage our hands are developed.

The device known from the patent description No. FR 2951487 (fig. 1-3) has two identical mechanisms situated on both sides of the door leaf equipped with a lock which can be opened by means of the two-sided handles. Each of the mechanisms constitutes a rectangular plate mounted on the lower end of the door leaf, close to its comer, and a diagonally situated rectangular foot pedal being fitted to the plate and connected through its one end with a rod connector of which the other end is attached to the door handle planted in the door lock being situated in the side of the door opposite the door hinges which connect the door leaf with the door frame. The versions of the device presented in fig. 4-10 feature a considerably extended structure including profiles of both foot pedals and profiles of rod connectors as well as elements locking the door which makes the device and the installation process much more laborious.

The device known from the patent description No. US 7270352 B1 designed to open and close the door, preferably the toilet door, equipped with the usual handles or doorknobs and adjusted to be operated with one’s foot, consists of an elongate unit connecting the door handle with the lower end of the door leaf. The elongate unit consists of an actuator shaft, held in a tubular housing, of which the upper end is fixed to the handle or doorknob by means of a cord or a strap and the lower end carries a foot pedal. The whole device is secured to the door leaf through the housing of which the lower end is equipped with a hook component which is interengaged with the lower edge of the door and the upper end is looped over the doorknob shaft by means of a bracket. The upper part of the actuator has strap elements which enable to operate the door handle or a doorknob with a foot pedal connected with these elements by means of an actuator. The user steps on the pedal which, through the connection with the actuator and strap elements attached to the doorknob, makes the knob rotate and release the latch. The pedal is then pulled or pushed by one’s foot so that the housing and hook, firmly fastened to the door, pivot the door open.

The device known from the patent description No. US 4569546A has a pedal connected with the doorknob clamp through a cord or the like. The pedal is fixed to the bottom of a door and the clamp is secured to the doorknob. Once the user presses the pedal, the cord tightens and turns the doorknob which makes the door latch retract from the doorjamb and allows the user to either pull or push the door with one’s foot. The pedal is attached to the door through a hinge but also rests on a supporting surface or floor through a wheel or caster secured to the underside of the pedal base. The pedal is also equipped with a spring which sets it back in the initial position.

The device known from the patent description No. EP 1048811, being a foot operated system for opening a door having a hinged edge and a swingable edge, consists of a foot pedal connected to mounting means for mounting the foot pedal near the swingable edge, actuator means connected to the foot pedal, and catching means, for mounting onto the door, such that the catching means protrude beyond the swingable edge and operationally are caught by the actuator means. The actuator means consist of an actuator rod stiffly connected with the pedal and parallel to the swingable edge. The catching means comprise also a catching pin fixed to the door in a way allowing it to catch the actuator rod while using the foot pedal. Moreover, the actuator rod is L-shaped and its first leg is positioned vertical and parallel to swingable edge and a second leg is rigidly connected to foot pedal.

The device known from the patent description No. US4817239 A, being a sanitary door opening assembly, comprises a U-shaped bracket disposed around the outer edge and sides of a door and a hook mounted to this U-shaped bracket and door by fasteners. The hook is defined by an arcuate pocket opening toward the outer swinging edge of the door for receiving a human forearm to pull open the door.

The device known from the patent description No. US20140197648 Al, being a foot operated door opener configured such that a door may be pulled open using either the top or bottom of a user’s foot (fig. 7), is made of a single piece of durable material profiled in a wavy manner allowing a user to slide in or out one’s foot or shoe in an easy way and use the opener without any risk that one’s foot or shoe will get damaged. The opener is attached to the lower surface of the door with a set of screws.

The device known from the patent description No. W02005004688 A3, being a sanitary door opener, comprises an attachment to the bottom of a

conventional door enabling a user to pull open the door by engaging the

attachment with one’s foot or shoe and thereby preventing hand contact with the door opener. The opener preferably is manufactured from a single piece of durable and flexible metal material and is bent to form a front face, a bottom face, a rear face, a top face extending outwardly from the rear face, and a lip extending downwardly from the top face. The opener is installed easily to a door b sliding the door opener under a door such that the front face contacts the front panel of the door, the bottom face contacts the bottom edge of the door and the rear face contacts the rear panel of the door. The device known from the patent description No. US 2009145037, being a door opener for mounting on a door, comprises a mounting plate fixed rigidly to the door, a frictional engagement beam protruding from the mounting plate and an upwardly projecting ledge spaced apart from the mounting plate. A user steps on the engagement beam and the upwardly projecting ledge and then forcibly retracts one’s foot to lever the door open.

The aim of the invention is to build a device which would let us, in an easy way, move the door leaf by means of our foot, preferably in sanitary cabins, accessible from both sides of a door leaf and giving a user a constant control over the width of the door opening without the need to take one’s foot away from the device and moving it from one side of the door to the other.

The other aim of the invention is installing the device in such a way and location that it would be safer than the currently used solutions.

The next aim of the invention is to make the device resistant to strong powers which may occur while operating it by one’s foot and not to let the powers be transmitted to other elements of the door.

The essence of a device to move a door leaf with one’s foot, preferably for sanitary cabins, is the fact that the elements operated by one’s foot are situated below the door leaf. Such location of the elements makes them accessible from both sides of the door. Mechanisms which are currently used to move a door leaf are accessible from just one side of the door and the important technical feature of many door leafs has never been used i.e. the bottom edge being on a certain height which allows the installation of the device or some of its parts underneath. The kind of door leafs featuring high bottom edge are frequently used in e.g. sanitary cabins, locker rooms, portable toilets.

It is beneficial when the device is equipped with at least one flexible safety element. The flexible safety element is any element which under the excessive power of one’s foot interacting with the device deforms in such a way that one’s foot slides down from the device. The flexible safety element protects the mechanism from an excessive power of one’s foot resulting from not only the unskillful usage of it but also accidental and deliberate stepping on it and kicking. There are many ideas which can be effectively adapted and used as the flexible safety element and each of them can be applied here. The reason for applying the flexible safety element in this invention is the fact that it will deform and make one’s foot slide down from the pedal. An easy and cheap solution may be each type of spring: cylindrical, conical, flat, spiral, etc. The material used for making it can be e.g. elastic metal and plastic as well as rubber or any other material with resilient properties. To increase the stiffness, it is advantageous for the flexible safety element to have the initial tension so that the elastic deformation will occur only when one’s foot exceeds this tension, as in case of safety bindings used in skis.

It is beneficial when the device has at least one foot. The foot has the surface very similar to horizontal so that one can easily set one’s foot on it and easily use the mechanism. Using more feet makes it easier to access the device from different directions.

It is beneficial when the flexible safety element is used to fix the device to a door leaf. It is also beneficial when the flexible safety element is used to fix a foot or feet.

It is beneficial when the device constitutes feet of which the upper ends are topped with a vertically situated rod element equipped with a cylindrical spring of which the upper end is connected with the bottom side of a door leaf.

It is beneficial when at least one flexible safety element has a head situated in a socket and pressed to this socket by means of an elastic element, and when the shape of the head is adjusted to the shape of the socket.

It is beneficial when at least one flexible safety element is made of a cylindrical spring.

It is beneficial when at least one flexible safety element is made of a tension spring situated in a tension bush. The tension bush gives the spring the initial tension and thus the connection is stiff and under small pressure of one’ s foot the device does change its position towards the door leaf which makes it easier to move this door leaf.

It is beneficial when at least one flexible safety element is made of a rubber rod or rubber bush element. When the bush element is applied, the connection keeps high stiffness when the power of one’s foot is lower than the power required to deform the side of the bush element, and when the power is exceeded, the connection gets highly flexible making one’s foot slide down from the device.

The advantage of the device in accordance with the invention is the fact that it can be used from both sides of a door leaf. It is advantageous to install the device close to the swinging edge of the door leaf so that it can be accessed by one’s foot also from the edge side. It allows the user to continuously control the open angle of the door leaf without the need to take one’s foot away from the device.

Mechanisms which are currently used to move the door by one’s foot are

accessible from only one side of a door leaf which, in case of a door equipped with an automatic door closer, forces the user to widely swing open the door and quickly go through before the door is automatically closed. The device in

accordance with the invention allows to open the door widely and easily without taking one’s foot away from it and safely go through. It is beneficial to install the device close to the floor as it will allow to block the door in an intended position by setting one’s foot on the floor and letting the device lean against one’s foot and at the same time block the door leaf. A person going through the door equipped with an automatic door closer will get as much time as he/she needs and will be able to freely move the other foot.

The device in accordance with the invention is much safer than the other solutions allowing to move a door leaf by one’s foot. Mechanisms which are currently used to move a door by one’s foot protrude considerably from the horizontal surfaces of a door leaf which makes them dangerous and causing serious injuries. The device in accordance with the invention being located under the door leaf can fit completely between the horizontal surfaces of the door leaf or protrude only slightly which considerably lowers the risk of injuries. Most of the commonly used door leafs have the bottom edge close to the floor so everyone instinctively moves their feet in such a way as if the sanitary cabin doors also were close to the floor and therefore the injury caused by the device installed under the door leaf is hardly probable. Moreover, the flexible safety elements applied in the device would additionally reduce the potential injury.

The device in accordance with the invention is resistant to strong powers which may occur while operating the device with one’s foot. The flexible safety elements which fix the device and/or the feet to a door leaf make them move to the position in which one’s foot slides down from them once too much power is used. It makes it impossible to damage the elements and also makes it impossible to transmit the power to a door leaf and damage other elements of the door.

The device in the accordance with the invention has been shown in the pictures in which fig. 1 presents the front view of the first example of the device, fig. 2 presents the front view of the second example of the device, fig. 3 presents the diagram of the device showing also the way the flexible safety element is applied - front view, fig. 4 presents the diagram of the device showing also the way in which two flexible safety elements are applied - front view, fig. 5 presents the diagram of the device showing also the way in which three flexible safety elements are applied - front view, fig. 6 - fig. 8 present three different examples of the flexible safety element located at the fastening of the rod element to the door leaf where fig. 6 presents the vertical section of the flexible safety element with the head situated in the socket and pressed to this socket by means of the elastic element, fig. 7 presents the vertical section of the flexible safety element equipped with the tension spring located in the tension bush, fig. 8 presents the front view of the flexible safety element with the rubber rod or rubber bush element. In fig. 3, fig. 4 and fig. 5 the flexible safety element is presented as a symbol resembling a tension spring located in a tension bush but the symbol should mean any type of the flexible safety element.

The device as presented in the first example in fig. 1 consists of the feet 1 , of which the upper ends are topped with the vertical rod element 2, equipped with the flexible safety element 3 in the form of the cylindrical spring 4 of which the upper end is connected with the door leaf 5 through the spring socket 6. It is beneficial when the cylindrical spring 4 functioning as the flexible safety element 3 has an initial tension between the neighboring coils because it increases the stiffness of the device when the pressure of one’s foot is not big and it makes it easier to move the door leaf 5. The elements of the device are located close to the surface of the door which makes the whole device safe in use.

The device as presented in the second example in fig. 2 is made of a resilient wire bent in the shape resembling the upside-down letters T or Y located on the surface close to the surface of the door leaf 5. The device in this example is connected with the door leaf 5 through any element fastening the wire 7 - e.g. two plates screwed together with a special groove carved in between to hold the wire 7.

Depending on the type of the device, the number of the flexible safety elements 3 applied as well as their location may differ.

The type of the device featuring no feet 1 or feet with steep upper surfaces may require only one flexible safety element 3 located at the fastening of the device to the door leaf 5 - this kind of the device is presented in fig. 3.

The type of the device featuring horizontal or close-to-horizontal feet 1 may require more flexible safety elements 3 as using only one flexible safety element 3 at the fastening of the device to the door leaf 5 may appear not sufficient as one’s foot stepping with large pressure close to the axis of the rod element 2 may not slide down from the feet. Applying additional flexible safety element 3 at the feet 1 fastening would make the feet 1 spin easier when an excessive power of one’s foot is used and one’s foot will slide down from the device - this kind of the device is presented in fig. 4.

The type of the device featuring feet 1 being longer than the rod element 2 may require more flexible safety elements 3 as using only one flexible safety element 3 for the feet 1 stiffly connected with each other would pose the risk that when the user steps on one of the foot 1 the other one could move up and rub against the bottom edge of the door leaf 5 which through the excessive pressure of one’s foot could damage the device or some door elements. It is beneficial then to use separate feet 1 equipped with one flexible safety element 3 each - this kind of the device is presented in fig. 5.

In the example of the flexible safety element 3 presented in fig.6 the rod element 2 has the head 8 situated in the socket 9 made in the bottom edge 14 of the door leaf 5 and the shape of the head 8 is adjusted to the shape of the socket 9. The head 8 is pressed to the socket 9 by means of the elastic element 10 in the form of a resilient metal strip fixed to the door leaf 5 with a screw 11. When the pressure of one’s foot is small the connection remains stiff. When one uses an excessive power the head 8 can freely spin in the socket 9 which allows moving the rod element 2 to the position in which one’s foot slides down from the device. After one’s foot slides down, the elastic element 10 presses the head 8 into the socket 9 which makes the rod element 2 move back to the initial position. It is beneficial when the shape of the head 8 and the socket 9 is not symmetrical towards the vertical axis of the rod element 2 which counteracts the spinning of the rod element 2.

In the example of the flexible safety element 3 presented in fig.7 the rod element 2 is connected with the door leaf 5 through the tension spring 12 located in the tension bush 13. The front of the upper end of the rod element 2 and the bottom edge 14 of the door leaf 5 have properly shaped fastening sections 15 and 16 situated opposite to each other and located in the tension bush 13 with a tension spring 12 inside. The ends of the tension springl2 are fixed to the hooks 17 and 18 of both fastening sections 15 and 16. When treated with low power, the connection is stiff. When the excessive power of one’s foot is applied, the tension spring 12 stretches which makes the rod element 2 move to the position in which one’s foot slides down from the device. After one’s foot slides down, the tension spring 12 makes the rod element 2 move back to the initial position. It is beneficial when the two ends of the tension bush 13 and the adjusted fastening sections 15 and 16 are shaped not symmetrically towards the vertical axis of the rod element 2 which counteracts the spinning of the rod element 2. In some cases it might be more beneficial to stiffly connect one end of the tension bush 13 with the fastening sections 15 or 16.

In the example of the flexible safety element 3 presented in fig.8, the rod element 2 is connected with the door leaf 5 through the rubber rod or rubber bush element 19 being fixed to the rod element 2 and the bottom edge 14 of the door leaf 5 with the screw elements 20 and 21.

The flexible safety elements 3 and their application as presented in fig. 6, fig. 7 and fig. 8 can be also used at fastening of the feet 1 or in any other places of the device depending on its type.

The application of the device in accordance with the invention is especially advantageous in sanitary cabins and portable toilets where not only the bottom edge of a door leaf is usually high enough but also there is no handle with a catch locking the door automatically. It would be beneficial to also apply the locking bolt which does not engage our hands, but even without this bolt the device in

accordance with the invention can substantially increase the hygiene of using the door.